Cyclone Fani made landfall near Puri, India, Friday, May 3, sparking an evacuation of nearly a million people from coastal regions. Heavy rains and high winds continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of residents of Odisha state on India's east coast, currently being deluged by heavy storms. Local ActionAid offices and community partners are coordinating immediate response.
The storm is considered to be India's strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in 20 years. Local authorities have evacuated over 1 million people from coastal communities in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Rail, road and air traffic have been suspended. The cyclone is expected to move towards Chittagong, in Bangladesh, in on Saturday, May 4, where national authorities have opened 3,868 evacuation shelters.
ActionAid has been working with the local government and partners to prepare for the cyclone, supporting evacuation and spreading early warning measures through local community radio to 700 villages. Over the past two years, ActionAid has trained more than 1,540 women in Odisha state to be humanitarian first responders, and prepared disaster plans for 35 villages of Jagatsinghpur and Ganjam districts of Odisha. These women leaders are now on the frontlines of the community evacuation and relief.
ActionAid's response is community-driven, women-led, and rights-based, which means your donation today invests in change that lasts. Donations beyond the scope of ActionAid's Cylone Fani response may be used for disaster recovery and resilience efforts where needed most.
