Heavy rainfall in India has caused severe flooding and waterlogging, affecting over 20,000 families in the city of Hyderabad. Seventy people are now reported to have died from the worst flooding the city has seen in 20 years. Some parts of the city that were flooded when a lake overflowed on 17 October remain under water.
The city continues to witness heavy downpour in some areas, and there are fears that the situation will worsen in the coming days.
Many homes have been completely inundated with flood water, forcing families to seek shelter in temporary relief camps.
The flooding has also caused severe destruction to roads and infrastructure and vehicles have been swept away. All major highways connecting Hyderabad are closed due to extensive damage.
Phone and internet connectivity have also been affected as a result of uprooted trees, damage to electricity poles and fallen wires and branches. Many parts of the city have also now lost their power supply, leaving households in darkness.
The situation has raised serious health concerns.
Credit: IRI
Affected families are without basic facilities including health services and access to safe drinking water. The situation is even more critical as 90 people living in relief camps have tested positive for Covid-19.
Adhering to safety and physical distancing protocols is very challenging in the camps, sparking fears that the virus could rapidly spread.
And as the water begins to recede water, the risk of epidemics and waterborne diseases is also high.
The humanitarian response is hampered by a serious shortage of resources as many organisations focus on Covid- 19 relief and response projects.
With severe cold weather forecast, there is also an urgent need to provide blankets and other winter items to those forced from their homes.
Islamic Relief’s local partner SAFA have been providing cooked meals to those affected through their own community funds, using a kitchen enterprise Islamic Relief set up previously.
We are monitoring the situation closely and working with other humanitarian organisations in India to establish the most effective way to support affected families.
