Credit: CNN

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the states of West Bengal, Odisha and Tamil Nadu suffered from devastating cyclones. Cyclonic storm Amphar was among the worst cyclones to ever hit India and primarily affected West Bengal and Odisha. Estimated economic losses from Cyclone Amphar were Rs. 1,08,388,08,50,000, or over 13 billion USD. Two million people in Odisha and West Bengal were evacuated in preparation for the cyclone, which made landfall on May 20. Hundreds of millimeters of rainfall was observed in some areas, and at least 35 homes were destroyed.

Cyclone Nivar, which made landfall near Puducherry in Tamil Nadu on November 25, forced the evacuation of at least 1,00,000 people in Tamil Nadu. At least 3,000 people in Andhra Pradesh were forced to shelter in relief camps. Shortly after Cyclone Nivar came the weaker Cyclone Burevi, which made landfall in December. Nine people in Tamil Nadu died, and electricity in many areas was cut off.

Response of ActionAid Association (AAA)

Cyclone Amphan primarily affected the districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Medinipore and Kolkata in West Bengal, while in Odisha it impacted Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Khordha, and Puri. ActionAid Association targeted livelihood support to 310 households in three villages within the Kultali block of West Bengal. Our teams prioritized families with single and elderly women, tribal people and other minorities during our intervention. We also supported families who are dependent on livestock by providing animals and food resources, including fishes, chicks and ducks, and the appropriate feed. In Odisha, we provided kitchen, garden, and seed support to a total of 879 families across the districts of Bargarh, Kandhamal, Nuapada and Sundargarh. We also provided 164 families in Nuapada with bamboo seedlings.

After the Nivar and Burevi cyclonic storms in Tamil Nadu, ActionAid Association carried out post disaster relief through the DPRF Fund using cash transfer. Cash was transferred to beneficiaries over the course of one month, through which ActionAid Association reached 617 female beneficiaries in the region.

Cyclone Michaung developed in the Bay of Bengal in late November and on December 5 made landfall near Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana experienced severe storms and at least 17 people died while 61,000 were evacuated. Chennai suffered estimated economic losses of several thousand crores as a result of the cyclone, which claimed 22 lives in Chennai and its neighbouring districts. In Tamil Nadu, the most severely impacted regions were Chennai, Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, and Chengalpattu. Cyclone Michaung particularly devastated informal settlements along riverbanks, further aggravating the income and livelihood crisis people in such settlements face.

Specific findings:

• Extensive damage to houses and infrastructure, particularly informal settlements.
• Displacement of a number of families from low-lying areas.
• Contamination of water sources leading to a high risk of water-borne diseases.
• Particular vulnerability of women (specifically single women), children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
• Aggravated detriment and economic damage to daily wage workers and informal workers due to loss of livelihoods.
• Increase in price of food and basic necessities in light of the flooding.
• Difficulty in accessing drinking water in the affected areas.

Response of ActionAid Association (AAA)

ActionAid Association has a presence in the state of Tamil Nadu and supported those affected by the cyclone across the southern districts. The South Cluster team of ActionAid Association reached out to people and communities in the affected areas and supported evacuation and coordinated with state administrations in Tamil Nadu. As an initial intervention, hygiene awareness was raised and families in need of support were identified, particularly those in isolation. These families were linked with administration and received relief materials. The respective state teams swiftly assessed the impact of the rains in affected regions, supported by community volunteers.

ActionAid Association responded primarily in three districts—Chennai, Thiruvallur and Chengalpattu—by establishing community-led disaster management committees. Three committees were formed with 10 to 20 members, including women from marginalised communities, women with disabilities, youth, and local HRDs. The first committee meeting was organised to draft the roles and responsibilities of the committee members, set the criteria for selecting beneficiaries, and finalise the relief materials and the process of relief distribution. In the following meeting, the committee mobilised, organised and distributed disaster relief kits to 385 affected families, beginning with informal workers, collaborating with Loyola College’s Department of Service Learning.

In Thiruvallur district, tarpaulin was distributed by the Jesuit Migrant Service and ActionAid Association to 100 migrant homeless Irula families. On the same day, a relief distribution of dry rations was also carried out in Kottaikadu in Chengalpattu district to 400 beneficiaries, primarily Dalit fisherfolk. On February 5, 2024, relief distribution was carried out in multiple villages in Guduvancheri in Chengalpattu District. 250 relief kits were distributed amongst the beneficiaries in Melkalvai, Pinnal Nagar, Kalvay, Sembakkam, Egattur, Pandur, Kalivanthapattu, Nemali, Senneri Erikarai, and Karuneelam, focused primarily on families led by women and with single women.

Source: Scroll.in

Incessant rain during the third week of July 2022 led to severe flooding in the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The heavy rainfall resulted in substantial water flow from the upper catchment areas, including tributaries and streams from Maharashtra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. This ultimately led to overflow of rivers and widespread flooding.

The floods had a devastating impact, affecting more than 360,000 people across 468 villages in 12 districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Many homes were inundated, and essential infrastructure including roads, bridges, and public utilities was damaged or destroyed. Agricultural lands were submerged, leading to the loss of crops and livestock, which severely impacted the livelihoods of the affected communities.

ActionAid Association’s Intervention

In response, ActionAid Association stepped in to provide immediate relief to affected families. Our teams identified the most severely affected families in the region and focused relief efforts on the blocks of V R Puram and Kunavaram in the Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) district. ActionAid Association supported a total of 3,021 families in 27 villages within the V R Puram and Kunavaram blocks. This support included the distribution of dry ration kits and other essential supplies to help propel families through these challenging times.

In 2022, Bengaluru experienced excessive rainfall, leading to severe flooding in various parts of the city. The unprecedented downpour particularly affected vulnerable communities who resided in low-lying areas. The heavy rains caused waterlogging, damage to infrastructure, and displaced hundreds of families. Marginalised groups including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and informal sector workers had to bear the brunt of the disaster.

Response of ActionAid Association (AAA)

Immediately, the affected populations needed food, shelter, and other necessities, as the flood had exacerbated their already precarious living conditions. In response, ActionAid Association conducted a rapid assessment survey to identify those most severely impacted by the floods. Through this survey, our teams identified 570 marginalized families in areas such as Kacharakanahalli, Dodda Gubbi, and Vinobha who urgently needed assistance. ActionAid Association promptly initiated relief efforts. We provided support to 563 families by distributing ration kits, and we also provided educational kits to 579 children, allowing them to continue their education even when schools were closed. The intervention by ActionAid Association played a crucial role in alleviating the immediate challenges faced by marginalised communities in the flood’s aftermath.

Joshimath, a Himalayan town located in Uttarakhand, is prone to frequent landslides and other adverse geological events owing to its location, construction typology, and local weather patterns. In the first week of January 2023, land subsidence in Joshimath drew attention from the media, and the entire town was on the verge of collapse, as cracks had developed in houses and other buildings. On the night of January 2, water began to gush through the lower slope of the town, and parts of the town subsided.

It is estimated that 20,000 people were directly affected by the landslide, and upwards of 700 buildings were damaged. Many of the affected families lost their homes, which eventually resulted in widespread food scarcity. Similarly, families who owned large plots of land or raised livestock ran out of food to feed their animals. The government announced the relief package for housing repair. Although the government announced that they would begin providing relief packages for housing repair, poor and vulnerable families were unable to receive compensation if they lacked the proper documentation.

Response of ActionAid Association (AAA)

ActionAid Association conducted a rapid damage-assessment survey in the affected wards of Joshimath: Dodil, Gandhinagar and Singhdar. Relief workers prepared a list of the most vulnerable families in these three areas with the support of community volunteers. With the help of volunteers, ration kits were provided to 632 families and livestock fodder was given to 275 households. Each ration kit contained rice, flour, lentils, sugar, cooking oil, tea, spices, biscuits, and hygiene items like sanitary pads, bathing soap and detergent soap.

Relief workers with ActionAid Association also organised meetings in the community and met with the people in relief camps. We provided support to individuals who needed to file and submit official documents to receive government-sponsored compensation. Relief workers met with government officials regularly throughout the aftermath of the landslide to ensure that families from marginalised backgrounds would be fairly included in the compensation process.

In the Tuticorin District of Tamil Nadu, northeast monsoon rains began in November, followed by a particularly intense period of rainfall from December 17th to the morning of December 18th, 2023, attributed to an upper cyclonic circulation. 2023 saw a historic amount of rainfall in the region. 93 cm rainfall was recorded in one day, surpassing the average annual total of 70 cm, and was the cause of major floods. All 4707 km2 of Tuticorin District were affected by the flooding, and all water bodies reached capacity and sustained damage.

The unprecedented rainfall and ensuing flood impacted everyone, albeit in varying degrees. Particularly hard-hit were those residing in vulnerable settlements, who were deprived of basic necessities such as food, shelter, and electricity, and communication networks were rendered unavailable. With the entire district affected, government services have struggled to reach those in need in a timely manner, exacerbating the challenges faced by the affected populations.

Response of ActionAid Association (AAA):

ActionAid Association aimed to provide relief specifically targeted at marginalized communities: daily wage earners, impoverished women, individuals with disabilities, economically and socially disadvantaged groups, and others whose livelihoods were devastated by the flood. We prioritized relief to communities reliant on salt and other informal sectors, who are at risk of losing job opportunities as a result of the flood. Even the rations from the Public Distribution System (PDS) were insufficient to meet their basic needs. These workers consequently experienced significant physical and mental stress.

In response, ActionAid Association, supported by PhonePe, provided Dry Ration Kits to these workers, offering crucial assistance during this difficult time. The provisions in the kits were enough to sustain their families’ daily needs for at least 10 days, providing significant relief given the circumstances. Many people have expressed their gratitude to ActionAid Association and PhonePe for acknowledging their vulnerabilities and supplying essential groceries like rice, oil, and household necessities. This support has not only brought happiness and better health to the workers but also enhanced their confidence and morale. The community’s feedback highlights that well-planned and thoughtful actions can lead to significant and anticipated outcomes.