Tag: India

CEDAR Supports Post-Flood Relief in Kerala State

Banner image: CEDAR Fund’s Indian partner EFICOR provides food and non-food aid to flood-affected families in Kerala (Photo credit: EFICOR, 27th August, 2018) “This is a wonderful moment as this act of love is a great and timely support for my family to survive for one month… It is a god-given comfort for my family.” Indu, resident of Kerala in southern India, says. Last month, Kerala suffered the worst floods in a hundred years. Indu is still reeling from fear. The floods took away all her belongings and destroyed her house. Indu and her family temporarily stayed in a relief camp. Since her husband has been living with kidney disease, Indu could not imagine when their house could

Let Indian Voice Their Right to Information: Christian Group Bridges Government and Villagers

Banner image: CEDAR’s partner EFICOR formed and supported the Disaster Management Committees(DMC) in 15 villages of Hasanpur block of India. DMC mmember Mr. Buchi Thakur (centre) is helping women, widows, old people, and people with disability in his village to access pension and other government entitlements When confronting natural disasters, impoverished people are often the most vulnerable group. It is especially difficult for them to cope with disasters due to a lack of resources and knowledge, resulted from limited education. Although public resources are available, they may not be aware of it and do not know how to access. CEDAR’s partner organisation in India has witnessed the difficulties of poor people in obtaining information and government assistance. India,

Week 4: When The Drought Hits…

In the past two weeks, we have examined two farming methods that could help restore the land. However, the nature is not always men’s ally. When abnormal weather happens, what could impoverished farmers do to help themselves? Drought is a frequent occurrence in central India where climate changes have caused great damages to the local farmers due to scarcity of rains. Climate change is one of the factors that drives farmers into a corner. In 2015 alone, there were over 12,000 farmer suicide cases due to severe financial difficulties in India [1]. Our partner in India, EFICOR, said countless farmers and their families suffered from hunger, and were forced to sell their livestock, or leave their hometowns in the hope

South Asia Floods Relief Enters New Stage

Banner Image: CEDAR’s partner, ACN, in Nepal has been distributing much-needed relief aid to vulnerable families Nepal, India, and Bangladesh have been facing the worst monsoon rains in 15 years, triggering severe flooding across the three countries. Over 1,200 people have been killed, and 41 million people have been affected. CEDAR’s partners begun their responses the week after the flooding intensified. The initial responses were carried out in Nawalparasi district in central Nepal and Bihar state in northern India, providing emergency relief items for affected communities. The response is entering a new stage right now. CEDAR has allocated funds for Asal Chhimekee Nepal (ACN) in Nepal to provide hygiene kits and winter items for 600 households and provide

41 Million Affected by Heavy Flooding in South Asia

Banner image: Incessant rainfalls have triggered widespread flooding in South Asia, affecting over 41 million people, including vulnerable women and children. Torrential downpour have caused severe and widespread flooding in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, killing 1,200 people and affecting 41 million people. Countless homes have been damaged and destroyed. Many are displaced and deprived of food and water for days. The region’s monsoon season last from June till September every year, but some aid agencies said things are worse this year. The United Nations said the situation could possibly deteriorate further as rains continue in some flood-affected areas and flood waters move south. In India, over 32 million people are affected. Several rivers are flowing at dangerous levels

South Asia Floods: the Disaster That Didn’t Make Headlines

Incessant rainfalls in South Asia have triggered massive floods and landslides, destroying farmlands, houses and roads, as well as killing innocent lives. It is estimated that up to 41 million people are affected in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, where over a million people are displaced. Survivors are experiencing food and water shortages, and humanitarian workers fear the outbreak of waterborne diseases. CEDAR’s Nepali partner, Asal Chhimekee Nepal (A.C.N.) visited some flood-stricken villages last week to evaluate the situation and plan for a relief response. In a small village, community members lived in huts made of straw, and most of the houses were smashed and sandwiched by the flood. All the food they had stored were either swept away

The Letter from CEDAR | February 2017

Dear Friends of CEDAR, “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14 & 16) Happy Chinese New Year! For a long time, “eating” has been a core part of our Chinese culture, especially in times of festivities. Over Chinese New Year, I was “food overloaded” and felt a strong sense of guilt as many people in the world are still undernourished and suffering from hunger. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, around 800 million people are facing hunger, representing 11.1% of the world population. From experience and observation, we know that their hunger