Looting And Fighting In Monsoons
Thirty-five million people have been hit by the devastating floods across Asia, where the death toll is rising and there are reports of fighting and looting among victims desperate for food.
More than 440 people have died in India, Bangladesh and Nepal and bad weather is crossing into neighbouring Myanmar.
Two children have already been killed by a tornado there and scores of buildings have been destroyed.
Relentless monsoon rains are drowning the region where 10 million people are known to be homeless in the worst flooding in memory.
Dozens of people have been injured in food-drop lines as relief supplies dwindle.
Women and children in one village clashed over small packets of biscuits being handed out by a local aid organisation, while villagers in another part of the state looted a tractor full of grain, officials have said.
"We are surviving on snails as we have nothing to eat," victim Bhagwan Manjhi said.
"We are trying to prevent such food rioting by pumping more relief materials into the flood-hit areas," said Manoj Kumar Srivastava, the state disaster management secretary.
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Around 6,100 packets containing 11lb of flattened rice, salt and flour have been distributed in the region, where four helicopters are being used to carry supplies.
In the eastern state of Orissa, at least 30,000 homeless people are living without food and water as heavy monsoons continue.
At least 17 people have either drowned or been killed by lightning strikes in Orissa since Saturday.
In the northeastern state of Assam, hundreds of private doctors began volunteering to help government hospitals cope with an influx of people with dysentery, diarrhoea, fevers and skin diseases.
"There is every possibility of an outbreak of epidemic in the state," said Dr Nareswar Dutta, president of the state branch of the Indian Medical Association.
"Most of the sick are children," one official said.
Floods sweeping nearly two-thirds of Bangladesh killed 36 more people overnight, taking the confirmed death toll from more than two weeks of deluge to 156.
In Nepal, at least 93 have died since the monsoon began.
Hundreds of people have started returning to their muddy homes as water levels recede. More than 9,700 homes are in ruins, the home ministry estimated.
Las inundaciones han abatido duramente a India


Las intensas lluvias monzónicas se han detenido, aunque la cifra de muertos se ha elevado a 347 por las inundaciones en el Sur de Asia, sobre todo India, Bangladesh y Nepal.

Más de 25 millones de personas se han visto damnificadas por las inundaciones y han tenido que desplazarse.

Al menos 191 personas han muerto en India, el país más afectado por las lluvias.

En el condado pobre de Bihar, el jefe del manejo de desastres Manoj Srivastava reportó que más de 6.000 poblados habían sido inundados, y 11,5 millones de personas afectadas. Dos millones de estas no han encontrado refugio y viven al descubierto.

La gente se ha visto aislada y se han armado varios conflictos por la comida. "Sobrevivimos de caracoles ya que no tenemos nada que comer", declaró un afligido.

Cerca de 6.600 paquetes con comida han sido repartidos por las zonas afectadas.

En Bangladesh, la cifra de muertos ha sobrepasado los 156, reportaron oficiales locales. Al menos unas 36 muertes fueron confirmadas este lunes. En Nepal, la cifra de muerto sería de al menos 93.

=== Enfermedades ===

"Hay muchas posibilidades de que haya una plaga epidémica en el estado", dijo el Dr. Nareswar Dutta de Assam.

Aunque las lluvias han parado, las posibilidades de que el agua se retire rápidamente son bajas mientras que las posibilidades de una epidemia son altas.

Doctores han comenzado a repartir medicinas para evitar diarrea, alergias de la piel y otras enfermedades causadas por las inundaciones.

Sin embargo, oficiales de Uttar Pradesh declararon que la situación mejoraría ya que los ríos Ghagra, Rapti y Gandak han comenzado a bajar sus niveles.

"Los niveles de agua de otros ríos han comenzado a bajar o están constantes", dijo Mahindra Awasthi, un portavoz de la Comisión Central de Agua de Lucknow, la capital del estado.

Aunque los esfuerzos para repartir alimentos en las áreas afectadas son arduos, los habitantes que aún viven en hogares corroídos y dañados manifiestan que "no es suficiente".