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A28 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 23 July 2020

South Asia floods displace millions, kill 550

in floods that have sub-
merged Kaziranga Na-
tional Park, 225 kilometers
(139 miles) east of the state
capital, Gauhati. More rain
is expected in the next few
days.
In Bangladesh, experts say
this year's monsoon is go-
ing to last longer than usual
because more waters are
expected to rush in from
upstream India, which In this June 14, 2020 file photo, a medical worker wearing per-
shares 53 common rivers sonal protective equipment works in an intensive care unit for
with downstream Bangla- COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Sanaa, Yemen.
Associated Press
desh.
Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, the
In this photograph provided by International Federation of Red executive engineer at the U.N. agencies warn of
Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) shows IFRC volunteers
reaching flood affected communities with drinking water and Flood Forecasting and
other support in Kurigram, Bangladesh, July 16, 2020. Warning Center, said flood- more food shortages in
Associated Press waters were not expected
to start receding before the war-torn Yemen
Associated Press coming weeks. It said that second week of August.
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) 2.8 million people have In Kurigram, one of the
— More than 9.6 million been affected, and that worst affected districts CAIRO (AP) — U.N. agen- the war that pits the coun-
people across South Asia more than 1 million are iso- in northern Bangladesh, cies warned Wednesday try's Houthi rebels against a
have been affected by se- lated. thousands of people took that food shortages will Saudi-led coalition fighting
vere floods, with hundreds In India, over 6.8 million shelter at higher ground, rise sharply in parts of war- on the side of the interna-
of thousands struggling to people have been affect- leaving their homes and torn Yemen in the next six tionally recognized govern-
get food and medicine, ed by the flooding, mainly belongings behind. months, mainly because ment.
officials and aid organiza- in the northern states of "Many people are not hav- of the overall economic Economic shocks, conflict,
tions said Wednesday. Assam, West Bengal, Bihar ing three meals a day," decline and the pandemic floods, desert locusts and
About 550 people have and Meghalaya bordering Mizanur Rahman Soikat, that has ripped through the now COVID-19 are creat-
died in India, Bangladesh Bangladesh, the IFRC said, a volunteer for the Bidya- Arab world's poorest coun- ing a perfect storm that
and Nepal, while millions citing official figures. nondo Foundation, a local try. A report by the World could reverse hard-earned
have been displaced from In India's northeastern state charity, said by phone. "The Food Program, the U.N. food security gains in Ye-
their homes since the flood- of Assam alone, some 2.5 government and volunteer Children's Fund and the men, the report said.
ing began last month, said million people were affect- groups are trying to give Food and Agriculture Or- "Yemen is facing a crisis on
the International Federa- ed and at least 113 have them food and medicine, ganization said the number multiple fronts," said Lau-
tion of Red Cross and Red died, authorities said. but it is getting harder to of people facing high lev- rent Bukera, the WFP direc-
Crescent Societies, or IFRC. M.S. Manivannan, head of keep track of the affected els of acute food insecu- tor for Yemen. "We must
The organization warned of Assam's Disaster Manage- people because of rising rity is expected to increase act now. In 2019, thanks to
a humanitarian crisis, say- ment Authority, said many waters." from 2 million to 3.2 million a massive scale-up, WFP
ing that close to one third rivers were still flowing Jagan Chapagain, secre- in the country's south. and partners were able to
of Bangladesh has already above the danger level. tary general of the IFRC, Yemen has been the site of reverse the deterioration
been flooded, with more More than 100 animals, said South Asia could face the largest food crisis in the in the worst hit areas of
flooding expected in the mostly deer, have died a humanitarian crisis.q world, mostly because of Yemen."q

Greece: Homes, camp evacuated due to wildfire near Corinth

fanned by strong winds (50 miles) southwest of Ath- the sporting competition
that raged through forests ens. that inspired the Olympic
and forced the evacuation But the aircraft were forced Games, near Petalidi further
of six settlements in south- to cease flying after night- south and on the southern
ern Greece. fall. island of Crete. The blazes
State TV said more than Three villages, three smaller at Ancient Olympia and on
4,000 people were evacu- settlements and a summer Crete were under partial
ated. No injuries were re- camp were evacuated as control by early Thursday,
ported, and the extent of a precaution. Firefighters the Fire Brigade said.
any property damage was were dispatched to the Wildfires are common dur-
not immediately clear. scene from other parts of ing Greece's hot, arid sum-
The Fire Brigade said 10 Greece, and local volun- mers. Massive blazes in
water-dropping helicopters teers as well as heavy ma- 2007 killed about 80 people
and seven planes were de- chinery provided by the in southern and central
ployed Wednesday to as- army and regional authori- Greece.
Fire burns near the village of Galataki as authorities evacuate sist with the ground opera- ties were helping in the ef- The Fire Brigade said
the place near Corinth, Greece, on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. tion in an area inland from fort. Wednesday evening
Associated Press the seaside settlement of Firefighters also battled that a total 57 forest fires
Kechries near the town of smaller blazes near an- broke out in 24 hours, most
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — were struggling overnight Corinth in the Peloponnese cient Olympia, the western of which were quickly
More than 250 firefighters to contain a large wildfire region, some 80 kilometers Peloponnese birthplace of extinguished.q