Kosi River Flooding Relief

District Governor Pam Kerr recently received this letter from the president of Rotary International and the chair of the Rotary Foundation Trustees:

We are deeply saddened to hear of the recent Kosi River and related flooding in India. Past RI President Raja Saboo has been working with Rotarian leaders in India to assess the situation and assist in coordinating relief and recovery efforts. To learn of this catastrophe that has taken the lives of more than 350 people and has affected the lives of millions is devastating.

We understand that this has been a time of numerous disasters and we are touched by the commitment of Rotarians to assist affected communities in Haiti, Turks and Caicos, and Texas and Louisiana with relief and recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Fay and Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Hanna. We thank you for your dedication to helping these communities during a time of such need.

We realize that news of the Kosi River and related flooding after torrential rainfall from heavy monsoons that caused a dam to burst in southern Nepal was not widely reported in some countries due to these other disasters. However, Rotarians in India are calling out for assistance, and given the challenge of sending contributions to India due to currency restrictions, we are writing with information about how you may work through Rotary to make a contribution toward alleviating this humanitarian crisis. To learn of the magnitude of this disaster and how local clubs are assisting with relief efforts, we encourage you to read the news story that RI Communications staff has posted to the RI Web site.

Although Rotary International does not have a fund to provide immediate relief to individuals in times of disaster, RI’s International Service Programs section provides resources regarding club and district disaster relief efforts on the RI Web site. Staff have been working with clubs in India to post projects on Rotary’s RI projects database, ProjectLINK. Rotarians wishing to contribute funds and/or donated goods directly to club and district relief projects may visit the Web site for opportunities to work with Rotarians in the affected areas. (Please note that contributions do not qualify for Rotary Foundation recognition of any kind.) Contributions to support relief and recovery efforts for the Kosi River flooding projects posted on ProjectLINK can be sent through RI, and staff will work with the India International Office to ensure that funds are received by the local clubs implementing projects.

We also encourage you to work with organizations such as UNICEF and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders and the grassroots Rotary project, ShelterBox, to meet the immediate needs of victims affected by these disasters.

It is our hope that with your meaningful and rapid response to this appeal, you will be able to help rebuild the future for thousands of innocent people impacted by these crises. Thank you for your commitment to helping disaster victims. It is Rotarians like you who truly "Make Dreams Real."

Sincerely,
D.K. Lee, President
Rotary International

Jonathan B. Majiyagbe, Trustee Chairman
The Rotary Foundation