Funds needed for South Asia flooding relief

Several Queens elected officials and civic groups are collecting funds for disaster relief efforts in South Asia after the area experienced severe flooding.
As of Wednesday, August 15, United Nations officials placed the death toll at a minimum of 2,200 because of the flooding caused by recent monsoons, and officials are worried that current conditions could spread water-borne disease.
In addition, more than 30 million people have been displaced from their homes, and about 45 million have been affected in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. In Pakistan, Cyclone Yemyin killed several hundred people and displaced about two million others in June.
State Senator John Sabini held a press conference on Wednesday, August 8, asking for aid. In particular, donors are being asked to give money instead of supplies, which are expensive and time-consuming to ship and may not address the particular needs in the region.
“When tragedies like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina hit America, the world responded,” Sabini said. “The tragic floods ravishing South Asia right now are another opportunity for us to repay the favor. New Yorkers can give to a number of relief agencies working in the region directly or through one of the fundraisers my office is helping to organize with local community groups.”
The American Red Cross of Greater New York (ARC/GNY) is helping with the efforts in all of the affected countries.
“The need is still dire and the pain and suffering tragically felt by millions throughout South Asia. Please help us help them,” said Joan Foley, Queens Director of the ARC/GNY.
The Jackson Heights Merchants Association (JHMA) is collecting money specifically for India and is planning either a fundraising drive or dinner, and the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Nepal (ADHRN) is holding a fundraising brunch - co-hosted by Sabini - for relief efforts in Nepal. The event, scheduled for Sunday, August 26 from 3 to 5 p.m., will be held at the Tangra Masala, located at 39-23 Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside.
The Jackson Heights Bangladeshi Business Association (JHBBA) is organizing a fundraising dinner for aid in Bangladesh, and the Bangladeshi Society of New York is seeking funds, said the group’s President Nargis Ahmed, a resident of Jamaica Estates.
“The Bangladeshi people who live abroad are all trying to help people back home,” Ahmed said. “This is the biggest flood that we have had. We had it in 1998 and 1988. This was the worst one. The situation is bad.”
Donors can also give directly to the Bangladeshi government’s “Chief Adviser’s Relief and Welfare Fund” or through the Bangladesh Consulate in New York.
In addition, funds for Pakistan can be donated to the Pakistani embassy in Washington D.C. For more information about fundraisers, call Sabini’s office at 718-639-8469.