Flooding from the recent Cyclone Komen has claimed 180 lives and displaced about 1.2 million people in West Bengal, India, including communities where ChildFund India works.

But there is some positive news: The rain has stopped and the floodwaters are receding, according to reports from our national office in India.

There has been no loss of life among enrolled and sponsored children or their family members in West Bengal, a state in eastern India between the Himalayan Mountains and the Bay of Bengal.

However, flooding has affected more than 10,000 people where ChildFund works, and local government officials have set up shelters where 3,000 people are staying until it is safe for them to return home. At least 20 ChildFund-enrolled children’s homes have suffered severe damage. After the water recedes further over the next few days, ChildFund India and the local government will assess the damage and help these and other families rebuild their homes and livelihoods.

Right now, the largest concern is providing enough food, water and proper sanitation facilities to people affected by the flooding. ChildFund is working with the local government and its local partner organization to help provide food, tarps, bleaching powder, antibiotics and halogen tablets. Our office also is helping distribute medicine for fevers, colds, coughs and skin problems, which are affecting families in the region.