* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Kaushalaya and her family now sleep on the floor of a government school in Kharadi after they were displaced by the floods that struck the north Indian province of Uttarakhand. The house that used to shelter this family of five was completely destroyed in the deluge and in the chaos of evacuating, they were unable to salvage any of their belongings.
Kharadi village is one of the worst-affected areas that are still accessible to aid agencies. Many areas have been completely cut off, leaving thousands stranded. Overall, at least 150,000 others have been displaced in the floods and the numbers are expected to rise with more rain forecasted in the coming days.
With many livelihoods now destroyed or disrupted, Kaushalaya’s husband goes to neighbouring towns in search of work in order to provide for his while and three children. So far, they have received a 20kg sack of rice from the government, but still need other nutritious foods, toiletries, school materials and clothes.
“Even if the bridge is repaired and the road to the school opens, how will we arrange around Rs. 1000 for the monthly educational expenses?” said Kaushalaya.
Indeed, help is not arriving for many families soon enough. As we walked around the government school to find out what families need most after such a devastating disaster, a couple retold the story of how their one-year-old daughter died from pneumonia after they were unable to get her the medical help she needs. Their village was completely cut off as three bridges were washed away by the floods.
With fresh downpours expected, the worst-affected children and their families cannot wait much longer. There is an urgent need for food, clean drinking water, blankets, medicines and warm clothes and proper shelter. Save the Children has declared an emergency response and has started delivering emergency supplies to the families reached by its teams, including food basket, supplementary food to children, hygiene kits, buckets, mosquito nets and blankets.
