Assam Floods

What are we currently doing? Currently, we are providing medical services in flood affected villages of West Karbi Anglong and Noagaon district with the help of organisations Jeevan Shiksha and Peoples’ Initiative for Rural Development working at the grassroots here.  We are also identifying areas which might need further support in terms of Ration, Clothes, Etc. During disasters, the health becomes the last priority and money is kept for other daily needs. So lots of old age person, pregnant women , etc suffers due to lack of priorities and purchasing power. So We are identifying patients suffering with such chronic disease like hypertension, diabetes, mental illness, epilepsy, malnutrition and also pregnant women. In addition, malnutrition among children and adults is rampant. We are planning to extend support to such patients by providing them the crucial medicines for next few months till flood situation is subsided. We will also planning to extend the health services to Barpetta and Silchar area which are worst affected by floods. What are the predominant needs? –        Ration – There has been destruction of food crops, stored grains within homes and livestock. People would benefit immensely from ration donations. –        Medicines – people with chronic conditions stand the risk of developing complications if they don’t take medications to manage them. However, a regular supply of medicines for lifetime is expensive and people would benefit from donations to be able to continue their medicines. Mostly Non-communicable disease medication like Hypertension, Diabetes, mental health, Epilepsy, Pregnancy, etc. –        Clothes – in the immediate event of flooding, a donation of new clean, dry clothes would benefit everyone in need. Mostly T-Shirts as all age group and gender people wear it. –        Volunteers – Especially volunteers from medical field can help us serve the flood affected people through the health camps in different areas. Assam faces floods every year. It is usually the river Brahmaputra that floods and causes havoc. The resilience of the population is immense and the people in regular flooded areas keep themselves ready for such disasters . However, this year, various different parts of Assam along the banks of many small small rivers have been flooded during unusual timings of rainfall in the month of May. Till now , more than 26 districts were affected by this rainfall and subsequent flooding. This affected a population of more than 31 lakh people with 3.1 lakh people living in 569 temporary makeshift camps at high area. More than 150 people lost there lives during this floods across the state of Assam. This caused flooding in totally new areas which never saw floods in past 20-25 years. So there was no preparation by the people and administration. The flooding caused sudden displacement of the population. It also resulted in loss of livestock and destruction of crops like Maize , Tapioca , Vegetables, Tubers, etc. The population here is composite, belonging to Assamese, Karbi, Garo, and Ahom communities in addition to migrants from other states. In many senses, the flooding this year is the worst in many years. With limited media coverage, the need for relief efforts is immense, here in Assam. We, yumetta, are making an effort to contribute to the relief activities. What are we currently doing? Currently, we are providing medical services in flood affected villages of West Karbi Anglong and Noagaon district with the help of organisations Jeevan Shiksha and Peoples’ Initiative for Rural Development working at the grassroots here.  We are also identifying areas which might need further support in terms of Ration, Clothes, Etc. During disasters, the health becomes the last priority and money is kept for other daily needs. So lots of old age person, pregnant women , etc suffers due to lack of priorities and purchasing power. So We are identifying patients suffering with such chronic disease like hypertension, diabetes, mental illness, epilepsy, malnutrition and also pregnant women. In addition, malnutrition among children and adults is rampant. We are planning to extend support to such patients by providing them the crucial medicines for next few months till flood situation is subsided. We will also planning to extend the health services to Barpetta and Silchar area which are worst affected by floods. What are the predominant needs? –        Ration – There has been destruction of food crops, stored grains within homes and livestock. People would benefit immensely from ration donations. –        Medicines – people with chronic conditions stand the risk of developing complications if they don’t take medications to manage them. However, a regular supply of medicines for lifetime is expensive and people would benefit from donations to be able to continue their medicines. Mostly Non-communicable disease medication like Hypertension, Diabetes, mental health, Epilepsy, Pregnancy, etc. –        Clothes – in the immediate event of flooding, a donation of new clean, dry clothes would benefit everyone in need. Mostly T-Shirts as all age group and gender people wear it. –        Volunteers – Especially volunteers from medical field can help us serve the flood affected people through the health camps in different areas.