Kuala Lumpur: Red Cross is urgently responding to keep people safe as Cyclone Tauktae sweeps up the west coast of India, threatening millions already reeling from a world-record covid-19 surge.
In recent days, India has seen a slight reduction in infections, but death rates continue to set devastating new records.
Hospitals and health services remain stretched beyond their limits in many parts of the country.
"This cyclone is a terrible double blow for millions of people in India whose families have been struck down by record COVID infections and deaths. Many families are barely staying afloat," Udaya Regmi, Head of South Asia Delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in a press release on Monday.
"The potential impacts of Cyclone Tauktae are frightening as this monster storm threatens the state of Gujarat. Every effort must continue to keep people safe from this dangerous storm and the raging pandemic," Regmi said.
While India has been reeling from record COVID surges, Indian Red Cross teams have been supporting older people and others most vulnerable across the country with ambulance services, access to medical care, food parcels and other critical relief.
"Indian Red Cross emergency response teams are working alongside authorities to evacuate people most at-risk in coastal areas, providing first aid, masks and encouraging other critical COVID-19 prevention measures," he said.
"Hundreds of Red Cross volunteers are responding as prepositioned relief is urgently being sent such as tarpaulins for shelter, kitchen sets of pots and pans, hygiene kits and buckets for safe drinking water in cyclone-affected states," he added.
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