Grants approved for cyclone victims in Odisha, India

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has accepted the advice of the Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee and approved from the Disaster Relief Fund three grants totalling $7.032 million to three agencies for providing relief to cyclone victims in Odisha, India.

     Announcing the grants today (July 4), a spokesman for the Government said that the cyclone had affected more than 15 million people in Odisha, India. The three grants – one of HK$1.495 million to Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) China, one of HK$2.518 million to Save the Children Hong Kong and one of HK$3.019 to Plan International Hong Kong, will be used to provide hygiene kits, kitchen kits, water kits and education kits as well as household and shelter kits, to benefit around 45 100 cyclone victims. As the targeted localities of the three relief agencies are different, there will be no overlapping of resources. The Committee said it hoped the grants would facilitate the provision of timely relief to the victims and help them restore their normal living. The grants, together with the one approved earlier for this cyclone in Odisha, India, will take the accumulative value of grants and the number of beneficiaries to $12.506 million and 76 150 respectively.
 
     "To ensure that the money is used for the designated purposes, the relief agencies will be asked to submit evaluation reports and audited accounts on the use of the grants after the relief projects have been completed," the spokesman said.