TNT India help Cyclone Aila victims

TNT India has initiated relief activities immediately after Cyclone Aila hit the shores, and is coordinating the medical support for three refugee camps.

TNT India has initiated relief activities immediately after Cyclone Aila hit the shores, and is coordinating the medical support for three refugee camps.

As of 2 July, they are joined by an ER Team member.

The cyclone hit heavily populated areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, washing away about 500 kilometres of embankment throughout the Sunderbans.

River banks and mud houses in Bangladesh and India have been completely destroyed, crops and fisheries have been damaged, livestock is lost and the mangrove forest in the Sundarbans, which is the home of rare Bengal tigers, is severely flooded.

Immediately after Cyclone Aila hit the shores, TNT India set up a committee to support relief activities. Their help was requested by the West Bengal Government. The team is coordinated by Dhananjay Parkhe, CSR director of TNT India, and Abhik Mitra, managing director India.

TNT is organising the medical support of three refugee camps around Calcutta, giving direct help to around 15,000 people. As the camps are in dire need of medicines and shelter materials, TNT India is purchasing medicines and organising the transportation of the relief materials. TNT has set up medical relief camp where a team of doctors has already treated hundreds of people infected with skin diseases, malaria and diarrhea.

TNT employees from all over India are making a contribution by donating a day’s or half-day’s salary, as well as collecting clothes and other relief materials to help the cyclone victims. TNT is also looking into possibilities to support WFP with the transportation of 150 MT High Energy Biscuits to the stricken areas.

It is predicted that monsoon rains will harass the area in the upcoming days, which will slow down the relief activities; hampering the movement of relief materials and people.