Caritas India along with its partners are working in close coordination with the State Government machinery. All the State offices, diocesan partners and Caritas Samaritans are working in the affected communities and providing relief assistance. Caritas India has planned its response and supporting 21,469 Households and 94,465 populations in 6 states covering 178 villages with major sectors being Water Sanitation and hygiene, Shelter and livelihood restorations. Caritas India management is making extensive visits to the affected areas to review the assessment and progress of the flood response.
Maharashtra
Caritas India initiated the relief response with Sangli Mission society in Sangli and Sidhudurg Diocesan Development Society, Sindhurga in Kolhapur Districts and Poona. Relief team visited the affected villages and selected five most affected villages of Shirol block of Kolhapur and five Villages of Miraj block of Sangli District to provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) kits and food kits to 1060 most affected families. At Poona, 1500 families were supported with Food and Non-Food items.
The relief operation has given special focus to the most affected victims of the flood, especially People with Disabilities (PWDs), Single Headed women and aged persons. More than 100 PWDs, 60 single-headed women families and Aged persons were provided relief materials during the distribution.
Karnataka
Caritas India has enabled Belgaum Diocesan Social Service Society to respond professionally by involving the local members, SHG members to identify the deserving families for the relief kit distribution. A proper data management was ensured by issuing family cards to each family for smooth distribution process. BDSSS has received good support from local youth volunteers and around 80 volunteers worked day and night for 4 days to pack the relief items.
After carefully assessing the situation, the organization identified 2500 families from Chikkodi Taluk, Badami Taluk and from Khanapur Taluk for the immediate relief kit support. In Khanapur, the Bishop of Belgaum, Most Rev. Derek Fernandes, distributed the relief kits to the 200 affected families. In Belgaum & Karwar 2740 families were supported with Non-Food Items.
Uttarakhand
The state of Uttarakhand was also suffering from heavy showers. In Mori region several hundred hectares of agricultural land damaged along with dozens of cattle likely dead due to cloudburst. Caritas India through its partner Karuna Social Service Society has supported 75 families with Non-Food Items and Tarpaulin Sheets.
Tamilnadu
The needs assessment by Udhagamandalam Social Service Society (USSS) revealed that provision of blankets and warm clothes is the top priority in the Nilgiris district. Caritas India who was at the ground zero realized the urgency as the people were suffering in the biting cold. Blankets and clothes were distributed to 140 beneficiaries from 8 areas in Ooty Municipality and 460 Tribal families living in the villages of koovamoola, Cherambadi, Pandalur, Chellakunnu, Kariasholai, Nadugani, Amaikulam, Nellikandi, Mundakunnu, and Devala in Gudalur and Pandalur were provided relief materials through USSS.
Andhra Pradesh
Among the people affected by flooding in Andhra Pradesh, 1000 families of Eluru, and 1500 families of Vishakapatnam were supported with Non-Food Items whereas some families in Guntur were supported with both food and Non-Food items. The GCC members, local traditional leaders and volunteers are actively involved in the distribution process. The local administration and Government officials are also showing their support in the process.
Assam
Caritas India has recently done a holistic work by providing safe drinking water through installation Ultrafiltration (UF) membrane water filter in 10 most flood-affected villages situated under Nowboicha and Telahi Block, Lakhimpur of Assam based on proper baseline survey. European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and HCL Foundation collaborated with Caritas India to support the flood-affected families of Lakhimpur and Dhemaji in Assam. ECHO through its humanitarian assistance project will provide multipurpose cash transfer and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) support to the 20 most vulnerable flood-affected villages of Lakhimpur district. Caritas India in collaboration with HCL Foundation has recently initiated a Disaster Risk Reduction program in Lotak Gram Panchayat of Dhemaji district, emphasizing on women-led and child-centered disaster response. Women and children are particularly affected by the disaster with unequal access to resources, reproductive and menstrual health problem and a high number of school dropouts being some of the key concerns not to mention the post-disaster stress symptoms which gets magnified. The program aims to fully engage women as partners in alleviating post-disaster stress.
September 6th, 2019 marked the official launching of the program at Gogamukh which saw the attendance of representatives of the Panchayat, community leaders and other important stakeholders.
The project will work towards the refurbishment of 15 schools and Anganwadis in 10 most vulnerable villages located in the banks of Kumutia river, besides reviving the local economy through handloom and livestock support to the women and promoting nutritional health among women and children.
Bihar
In Bihar flood, Project participants were given orientation on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene prior to the relief distribution. All the nine-target village relief distribution was completed with WASH orientation in Sitamarhi. A total of 2500 families were provided WASH kits with the support of HCL Foundation. In coming days, 500 families in Purnea will be supported with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene kits and 3000 families in Muzaffarnagar will be provided Shelter Kits through Caritas Germany support.
Kerala
Caritas India has been instrumental in providing 10 houses to the flood-impacted families from Varappuzha and Kadmakkudi Panchayaths in Ernakulam districts in Kerala by Ernakulam Social Service Society (ESSS) on August 27, 2019 who were affected by floods in 2018. This was made possible through the Athijeevan programme and the solidarity support of Bangalore Archdiocese by providing well designed and completed homes to 10 families who lost their houses during the 2018 floods. Caritas India along with the Hans Foundation has supported 2000 most vulnerable families with Emergency relief kits (Food, Wash and NFI) in the Malappuram & Wayanadu district of Kerala.