Hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by the floods in the northern Indian are panicking over the high risk of disease in the camps where they are sheltering.
There is a big threat from water-borne diseases and measles, and many people are suffering from snake bites.
More than 700,000 people have been to camps, but there are still tens of thousands of others who remain stranded. The government are asking for more medicines to be rushed to the area, particularly anti-venom, which is in high demand.
The River Kosi which flows down from the Himalayas burst its banks and levees in Nepal on August 18. It then changed course and surged down the centre of Bihar state in India - one of the poorest areas of the country. The water flooded more than 700 villages and affected around 15 districts, home to around three million people.
The rescue and relief operation has been consistently criticised for being slow and poorly organised.
An Oxfam representative said "Women and children are bearing the brunt of the disaster, whether huddled in cramped camps or exposed to heat and the rains under the open sky.
"Thousands of people are without safe water and are having to defecate in floodwaters. There is a serious risk of diseases breaking out."
"Hygiene and sanitation facilities are urgently needed to prevent the spread of a water-borne epidemic. More food and shelter is also needed immediately."
Times
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