Press Releases 2005

U.S. Provides Humanitarian Relief to Flood Victims in Western India

05 August 2005

NEW DELHI -- The United States Embassy announced today it is providing Rs. 43.4 lakhs (USD 100,000) for humanitarian relief for the victims of the floods resulting from the heavy monsoon rains in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and other affected states.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, Charge d'Affaires Robert O. Blake expressed on behalf of the people and government of the United States his sincere condolences to the people of India in the face of the severe floods.

Out of this contribution, USD 50,000 will go to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.  The balance will support oral rehydration salts (ORS) provision through local NGOs among the hard-hit population.  The Charge d'Affaires added that the United States stands willing to assist India in any other way that would be helpful.

These funds have been made available from the Ambassador's Humanitarian Relief Fund and are provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance.

Responding to the disaster, USAID worked with corporate and NGO partners to provide ORS packets and Safewat, a water disinfectant, to affected areas. Through its ongoing technical cooperation for institutional capacity building, USAID is supporting the Government of India-United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Disaster Risk Management Project aimed at strengthening community level preparedness in western India, including the flood-affected districts in Maharashtra and Gujarat states, among others.