CHICAGO, IL (March 7, 2013) – Covenant World Relief has sent funds to the Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC) that is assisting victims of a drought in Maharashtra, a western state in India.

Millions of people in the region are suffering the worst drought in more than four decades, and government officials predict the situation will worsen in the coming months.

“Poor villagers are suffering without water, food and employment,” says HCC Moderator Steven David. “Major crops grown such as, maize, cotton, wheat, soy beans and sweet lime have been destroyed completely.”

The rural residents are being forced to move to cities to look for work. “Mass migration is the only option left for them for survival,” David explains.

A team from HCC traveled to some of the most severely affected villages to determine how it might help in “the grim situation.”

David said the church hopes to pack drinking water for the affected villagers, repair old hand pumps, and drill new bore wells, provide prepared food, and make medical assistance available.

The head of one hospital told an Indian newspaper, “Villagers have nothing to eat, they are scraping literally the bottom of their pot.” The water shortage may also force much of the 117-year-old hospital to close for the first time in its history.