Families in Pakistan who have been marooned by flooding, a slow boat ride across stagnant water is the only way to bring everyday supplies in or to reach the outside world.

One of the impacts that La Nina has on the weather is to bring wet and cool conditions to India, Pakistan and south-east Asia. It is not coincidental that all of these regions have seen an increase in the amount of flooding this year.

Worries are growing about food shortages as rice paddy fields come under water and drive rice prices to a historic high. Water-borne diseases triggered by the death of livestock and poultry swept away by the floods are also posing a threat to flood victims.

Countries affected by the swelling of the Mekong River are Cambodia and Thailand, where hundreds have died and hundreds thousands more have been affected. In Cambodia, heavy and persistent rainfalls have flooded 17 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces whereas in Thailand, devastation trails in the north and 23 provinces remain flooded.

Two consecutive Typhoon Nesat and Typhoon Nalgae made its landfall in Isabela Province, Philippines in the span of 4 days apart. The damaged caused by the twin typhoons are also expected to cause disruption of food chain not only in the Province but nationwide as Isabela is the main source of rice in the metropolitan. Over two million people have been affected, and 9.5 billion peso worth of agriculture and infrastructure has been damaged by the flooding.

In Pakistan, just as the people are struggling to rebuild their lives one year on from the worst flooding in the country’s history, heavy monsoon rains and flash floods have hit the country once again. Torrents of water lashed not only caused floodwater to rise, but also exacerbated the damage caused by the 2010 flooding. Agriculture land and crops have been washed away and more than 600,000 houses are reported to have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the floods.

World Vision is distributing food and water to disaster victims of Typhoon Nesat and Nalgae. Thousands are queuing up in the floodwater to receive their relief goods.

Our World Vision Singapore-funded Area Development Programmes in Bati, Cambodia and Dhemaji, India are badly affected by the floods.

As always, in any disasters, it is the children who are most vulnerable and worst impacted.

Unclean water and unhygienic sanitation are causing illnesses amongst children in Philippines. In Cambodia and Thailand, children have problems getting their daily meals as household food supplies dwindle and the situation worsens. Children in Pakistan are battling an alarming rate of malnutrition and are at high risk of illness and infection while in India, children are struggling with the clean-up of contaminated water and mud which have infiltrated both their homes and schools.

An estimated US$10 million is required to support the entire relief response for the five affected countries based on findings from the ground assessments made so far. World Vision Singapore aims to commit at least US$500,000 to provide emergency relief and healthcare supplies to the victims to tide them over the next 30-day critical phase.