Skip to main content

India: Extreme cold weather (MDRIN010) - DREF Operation

Countries
India
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
View original

CHF 57,100 has been allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 10 January to support the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) in delivering immediate assistance to approximately 10,000 beneficiaries. Unearmarked funds to replenish this DREF allocation are encouraged.

Summary: Despite efforts by the government, Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), and a large number of NGOs, reports indicate that there are a growing number of deaths due to exceptionally low temperatures; most of the deaths are among the homeless and the elderly. Leading newspapers and electronic media have been highlighting mounting death toll due to extreme cold weather in the northern states in India. To date, 233 deaths have been reported by the media. However, the government has yet to confirm this figure.

IRCS is distributing blankets to homeless and other people in need. The IRCS national headquarters has already released 10,000 blankets to state branches in the affected region. This operation intends to replenish 10,000 blankets distributed by the National Society from its disaster preparedness stocks positioned in regional warehouses.

This operation is to be implemented over a period of three months and will therefore be completed by 10 April 2013; a final report will be made available three months after the end of the operation (by 10 July 2013).