4 November 1999

Relief operation in India

Even after two full days of relief operations, it isn’t getting any easier for the people of Orissa. The state capital, Bhubaneshwar, is still without water, power or most telephone services. People are queuing for food, fuel and water and there have been angry scenes, occasional thefts and soldiers have had to guard relief convoys to prevent looting. The next fear is of water-borne epidemics and shortages of medical supplies. Many parts of Orissa are still cut off by flood waters and blocked roads. Airdrops of food and emergency aid are continuing, but ground transport is the best way to reach large numbers of people quickly.

relief operations: national or international efforts to help people during a time of crisis

convoy: a convoy is a group of vehicles - often military vehicles

looting: means stealing during a time of disturbance

waterborne: something that is carried or passed on by water

epidemics: an occurrence of a disease which spreads quickly and affects a large number of people

airdrops: dropping emergency supplies from aircraft

question: in this context question means a difficult issue

long-term: over a longer period of time

aid money: money that is collected to help with relief operations

humanitarian needs: the things people need to help them recover from a disaster - not simply money