THOUSANDS of people whose lives have been devastated by Cyclone Fani will be given emergency supplies thanks to a grant from Essex Freemasons.

A £16,000 grant has been given to Plan International UK, which is working to help the most vulnerable survivors in the worst hit areas of Odisha’s Puri district following a cyclone in India on May 3.

A further £1,250 has also been sent to Freemasons in Bengal to support local relief efforts on the ground.

The grant from the Freemasons to Plan International UK will help to provide dry ration kits of rice and other basic food to 5,000 families, along with household essentials like blankets, mats, mosquito nets, buckets and soap.

A further 2,000 households will receive shelter materials such as ropes and tarpaulins so they can begin to repair their homes, while 2,000 children will be provided with notebooks, stationery and other educational materials so they can get back to school as soon as possible.

More than ten million people have been affected across 11 districts of Odisha by Cyclone Fani, which had recorded winds of 200kph.

Rodney Bass, provincial grand master for Essex Freemasons, said: “I’m very pleased we have been able to move so quickly and provide funds for Plan International UK’s vital work at the heart of the disaster zone, via the Masonic Charitable Foundation.”