The deadly floods in Kashmir are continuing to cause scenes of mayhem, displacement and uncertainty. The areas of Jammu, Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag are battling one of the worst floods in decades.
The heavy rain which hauled its way into Kashmir has left over a million people displaced, without food, water and communication channels. Approximately, hundreds of thousands of people including many Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims have been affected by the deadly upheaval and remain stranded. Now government officials stated that the death toll has risen from 200 to 450, and this number will only continue to grow.
In Srinagar, where the UNITED SIKHS Kashmir Relief team has been working on the ground, many residences and ,even hospitals, are submerged, leaving many victims’ families without any form of communication on whether their loved ones are safe, or alive. Although support teams have successfully rescued a number of people from Srinagar, some areas such as Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnah have only just become accessible. The UNITED SIKHS Kashmir Relief team will be assisting in these areas,when they become accessible to aid teams, as these victims have been without food and water ever since the rain first belted through Kashmir.
According to our UNITED SIKHS ground volunteers, the Gurdwara based in Budgam district, called Shaheed Bunga Sahib has given shelter and food to over 8,000 people. Furthermore, medical camps have also been set up in the Gurdwara where 1,000 injured victims have been treated, however medicine supplies are still low, and the number of people requiring treatment will only continue to increase.
A UNITED SIKHS Volunteer in Srinagar, Bhupinder Singh, explained that: “more people have come to the Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga, more than 8,000 people are currently in the Gurdwara and sanitation has become a major issue. With water receding, it is expected that more and more people are expected at the Gurdwara.”
The UNITED SIKHS Relief team will carry out work in the areas where aid is most critically needed. These areas include Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnah, which have only become accessible via army helicopters. Those rescued are being placed at safety camps, one being the Gurdwara Shaheed Bunga.
The need for aid is extremely critical. Our ground volunteers in Srinagar have also made clear that the number of children under the age of two is very high, and food is limited. These children need food in order to survive the wrath of the floods.
The UNITED SIKHS Relief team has already shipped 2100 blankets to victims in Srinagar. However, more items are needed in order to ensure that the death toll does not rise and that people are rescued.
UNITED SIKHS asks it supporters for donations in order to provide essential items that many people are without. Clothing has also become a concern. The majority of people have lost all the possessions after fleeing their homes, and have been constrained to wear the same clothes since the flooding began. Our ground team has made an assessment of items which are urgently needed:
-Water
-Baby Food
-Clothing
Medical Supplies:
– Beta dine solution to clean wounds
– Soframycin ointment for open wounds
– Tetanus injections
– Water-purifying tablets
– Insulin
– Cortisone tablets for allergies and bites
– Ashthalin pumps for asthmatics
You can also sponsor blankets for a family of 5 for £30/$50/INR3000
UNITED SIKHS would like to convey its gratitude to Spice Jet for freight concessions.
The UNITED SIKHS Humanitarian Aid and Relief Team needs your support to send aid to these vulnerable communities!
Let’s unite and make a difference, make an impact and make a change. Kashmir is counting on us!
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