The emergency programme will focus on helping people overcome the floods by ensuring they have enough food, they are able to rebuild their livelihoods and recover mentally, emotionally and socially.
Caritas is launching an emergency appeal for €538,500 to help 55,000 people who’ve been hit by floods in Assam and Bihar in India. Millions of people have been displaced and over 150 have lost their lives as a result of the floods.
Amrit Sangma, PR & Communications Officer for Caritas India said, “Thanks to all our donors and supporters. With your support, Caritas India have been able to start much needed relief to 159 flood ridden families of Assam.
“Each family has received a cash support of Rs.800 to meet their basic needs. In the coming days, this support will be extended to a total of 1000 families. All cash support are consciously handed over to women in order to ensure optimum utilization of the cash for the family.”
The emergency programme will focus on helping people overcome the floods by ensuring they have enough food, they are able to rebuild their livelihoods and recover mentally, emotionally and socially. The programme will run from August 2016 to March 2017.
Nine thousand families will receive cash vouchers to cover their food needs and to support them in getting back to work. Three thousand families will receive shelter and will participate in cash-for-work activities.
People who have land where they can grow vegetables will be given help to cultivate the land. Part of the training given by Caritas will focus on livestock buying and management. Caritas will help people buy seeds and teach good farming practices so that they can grow their own food.
Caritas has visited villages and relief camps to discuss with communities what they need. Some of the challenges they’re facing include damage to their houses and loss of belongings and agricultural tools and a heavy loss of livestock and damage to crops.
Communities are also facing problems accessing clean water and hygiene facilities. Caritas found health problems in a number of communities they visited, these include people suffering from stomach pain, headache, skin rush and fever. The flood-affected zones are prone to malaria.
The emergency programme will focus on seven districts in Assam (Kokrajhar, Chirang, Lakhimpur, Majauli, and Moregaon) and two in Bihar (Purnea and Supaul).