New Delhi, Oct 13 (IANS): The European Commission (EU) will provide emergency funding of Rs.200 million for flood victims in India, an official said Thursday.
The funding, channelled through the EU's humanitarian partners, will provide food assistance, shelter, water and sanitation and basic household items.
Kristalina Georgieva, the Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, said that floods have affected some four million people in eastern India and has displaced between 200,000 and 300,000 people, who are in urgent need of humanitarian relief.
"Once again, the yearly rains are hurting the most vulnerable, depriving them of bare necessities like food and shelter. The floods are threatening the lives of tens of thousands of already weakened and susceptible people in India. Homes, crops and livelihoods have been lost and needs exceed the government's response capacity," she said in a statement.
Teams from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Directorate General (ECHO) are monitoring how people's needs evolve.
"Particular attention will be paid to highly vulnerable groups such as low caste and tribal communities, religious minorities, single-parent families, the disabled, children and the sick and elderly," the statement added.
The commission will also fund disaster preparedness in high-risk areas, with the goal of raising the population's awareness of flood risk and response and work with volunteers, the authorities and community-based organisations in order to mitigate the risks of future flooding.
Floods have affected parts of Orissa, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.