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Stamford, Conn. –July 28, 2021 – Americares India has deployed medical teams to treat survivors in Maharashtra after heavy monsoon rains pummeled the region, triggering devastating landslides and flooding that have killed over 100 people and displaced thousands of others.
Maharashtra has been hit by the heaviest July rainfall in four decades, experts say. Days of downpours have made roads impassable and restricted access to villages across the state. Parts of India’s west coast received up to 23 inches of rainfall over 24 hours, forcing authorities to evacuate people in vulnerable areas as they released water from dams that threatened to overflow.
Three medical teams departed for Sangli, Satara and Ratnagiri today. The teams, organized by Americares India staff in Mumbai and operated in partnership with local health care organizations, will provide urgently needed medical care and COVID-19 education for survivors for 10 days. Two additional teams will depart for Kolhapur and Raigad later this week to deliver essential health services for families affected by the recent floods.
“The flooding in Maharashtra has devastated communities and has put the health of thousands at risk,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Response Kate Dischino. “We expect to see an increase in water-borne diseases as well as COVID-19 infections as families are forced to evacuate and stay at temporary relief shelters. Our medical teams will focus on providing survivors with critically needed primary care services to protect their health in a time of crisis.”
Americares India, based in Mumbai, provides emergency medical and humanitarian aid in response to floods, cyclones, earthquakes and other disasters. At the same time, the Americares India team continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with deliveries of critically needed PPE to protect health workers, oxygen and other critically needed medical equipment. Americares India also operates mobile health centers that provide primary care services six days a week in the slums of Mumbai as well as a successful school-based health program reaching 22,000 children across 79 schools.
Donations to Americares India Disaster Relief Fund will support its response to the flooding in India. To make a donation, please go to www.americares.org/IndiaRelief