People living in the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are still reeling from Cyclone Phailin, which struck land the evening of October 12, affecting over 14,000 villages and leaving at least 600,000 people without homes.
"There was advance notice that this storm was on the way, and due to disaster preparedness training many communities were able to evacuate their citizens,” explained Grace Wiebe, World Renew Senior Project Manager. “As a result, many lives were saved. Around one million people were evacuated before the storm hit, but as people return to their villages to survey the damage, the needs for food and shelter are rising.”
World Renew’s local partner, EFICOR, is currently assessing the situation in Odisha state and will work with World Renew to coordinate assistance to cyclone-affected families. Thousands of people will need support to rebuild homes and reestablish livelihoods as crops and businesses were also destroyed.
Cyclone Phailin is the biggest cyclone to hit the region in 14 years, with winds up to 200 km per hour. The last time a storm of this magnitude hit India in 1999, over 8,000 people lost their lives. This time around, cell phone messaging systems and 24 hour news coverage in the region allowed advanced warnings to go out and enabled the biggest evacuation in the country’s history. Initial reports indicate that only 18 people have died.
“World Renew is thankful for the lives spared during the storm, but we are concerned about all those returning home to find everything destroyed,” Wiebe said. “Odisha State was the hardest hit, and local families will need significant support to make it through the initial days and months as they slowly begin the daunting task of rebuilding.”
To support World Renew’s response to Cyclone Phailin, donate online here.
Choose "India Cyclone Phailin" from the International Disaster Response category.
Or, send your cheques marked “India Cyclone Phailin 2013” to:
World Renew US
2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49560
Tel: 1-800-552-7972
World Renew Canada
3475 Mainway
P.O. Box 5070 STN LCD
Burlington, Ontario, L7R 3Y8
Tel: 1-800-730-3490
Photo: Fishermen and a woman walk amidst debris of damaged houses after Cyclone Phailin hit Puri in the eastern Indian state of Odisha October 14, 2013. A mass evacuation saved thousands of people from India's fiercest cyclone in 14 years, but aid workers warned a million would need help after their homes and livelihoods were destroyed. Cyclone Phailin was expected to dissipate within 36 hours, losing momentum on Sunday as it headed inland after making landfall from the Bay of Bengal, bringing winds of more than 200 kph (125 mph) that ripped apart tens of thousands of thatched huts, mangled power lines and tore down trees. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood