The worldwide Christian aid organisation, Tearfund, has mobilised to assist in north east India, which was struck with a strong earthquake over the weekend.
Tearfund is working alongside partner agencies in the region, after a 6.9 magnitude earthquake in the state of Sikkim flattened thousands of homes and tore apart roads and buildings. Thousands have been left homeless by the earthquake, while dozens have been reported dead.
Tearfund are in a process of assessing the immediate needs but have already released emergency funding to partner relief teams working in the area.
“Our partner teams in the region will be doing all they can to help the communities affected,” said Robert Schofield, Tearfund Disaster Management Director.
“Temporary shelter, warm clothing, food, water and other essentials are vital, as exposure at altitude in the remote terrain is their biggest concern.”
Heavy rain has compounded problems causing landslides, and hampering emergency aid work. The Indian government is distributing emergency food packages and medical aid, but the stock of these government supplies will soon run out.
The destruction of the infrastructure, particularly in transport and communication, makes some areas incredibly hard to reach. It is also feared that damage to building may cause further deaths in the days to come.
“The quality of buildings in the areas affected will be a critical factor,” Schofield added.
“Whilst we hope for the best, relief teams and local communities are likely to see the consequences of poor building design. It is preparedness that makes the difference in any disaster and so often it is bad and hasty construction that claims lives. After the rescue and relief response we will need to work alongside village communities - learn the lessons that enable families to build better homes.
“This Himalayan region has been expecting a major quake. The one that hit on Sunday may serve as a rehearsal for emergency services, as well as a warning for local construction engineers and planners."
(Image show epicentre of the earthquake in Sikkim).