India’s Devastating Flooding Forces Thousands to Migrate, Putting Children at Risk

Andhra Pradesh, India, October 17, 2009 --(PR.com)-- "We’ve already seen migration in this area because of the severe drought, and now this historic flooding is causing even more people to leave," said Jayakumar Christian, World Vision’s national director in India. "We need to quickly step in so these communities have better coping mechanisms and don’t have to leave their children behind to look for work in urban areas."

The State governments have announced an immediate compensation for families whose houses have been damaged. Though this move is a positive step, World Vision is warning that the money is not flowing fast enough and that it is not nearly enough for families to rebuild their lives.

World Vision staff report more and more people who have lost their crops, livelihoods and homes say moving away is their only choice. In some cases, parents are venturing away for six to eight months to find work, leaving their children behind to care for the household and younger siblings.

In addition to being left in their village, children are at high risk of infectious disease because water and food have been contaminated and there is a lack of shelter, exposing them to the elements.

"The most vulnerable children are the ones whose families have lost their thatched houses and are left without the means to rebuild," says Franklin Joseph, World Vision’s emergency response director in India.

In addition to meeting immediate needs like tarps for shelter and providing clean water, World Vision will implement cash for work programs that will create jobs within affected villages and allow beneficiaries to restore their community. The organization will also be providing things like small business loans and goats or cows for milk production.

"The most urgent needs right now are temporary shelters and cash for work programs to help devastated farmers begin to earn a living again and help families to stay together in their villages."

Farmers can't resume their work until the floodwaters recede completely and normal rains begin again--which in these drought-prone areas makes timing uncertain--and say that apart from destroying the crops, the floods also eroded cultivable soil.

Communities in this region of India are already among the poorest in the nation and are now unable to afford many staple foods that have doubled in price because of the flooding. Aid workers fear this could lead to even higher rates of malnutrition among children in the area.

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World Vision staff are available for interviews. Please contact Casey Calamusa at +1.206.310.5476 or ccalamus@worldvision.org.

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

As floodwaters recede in southern India and displaced people begin returning to their villages, thousands are finding their homes destroyed and may be forced to abandon their villages and fields for good, says aid organization World Vision.