Oxfam is responding in Assam Floods 2017

Oxfam is responding in Assam Floods 2017

Assam is no stranger to monsoon floods, and this year is proving to be no different. On June 14, 2017, after incessant rains for 48 hours, the capital city of Guwahati woke up to severe waterlogging. A flood alert was sounded in at least 15 districts in lower Assam; and both the Brahmaputra and the Barak rivers were flowing above the danger mark.

In the initial round of floods, as many as 1096 villages were affected due to flooding in five districts. Land erosion also created problems in many areas. Official sources said that several tributaries of the Brahmaputra are flowing above the danger mark.

In the following weeks, monsoon intensified, resulting in heavier rains across the state. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report released on July 9, around 4.8 lakh people from Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath and Karimganj districts were affected by the floods. ASDMA said that 1096 villages are under water at present and almost 8,000 hectares of crop area were damaged. The worst affected is Karimganj, where over 1.59 lakh people have been affected by the deluge, followed by Lakhimpur with more than 81,000 sufferers. The administrations are running 228 relief camps and distribution centres in three districts, where 14,613 people have taken shelter. Many roads, embankments and bridges have been damaged by flood waters in Lakhimpur, Cachar, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Majuli and Karimganj districts, ASDMA said.

NEEDS ASSESMENT

OXFAM India conducted a rapid needs assessment in Karimganj and Lakhimpur districts during the first week of July to understand the scale and severity of the situation. Our team interacted with the affected communities in relief camps, temporary settlements and in villages, key state and district level officials including District Disaster Management Authority, Deputy Commissioners, PHED officials, PRI – local governance institution members and District IAG members.

Project - Humanitarian Assistance to Flood affected communities in Assam 2017 

  1. Total project cost - INR 43,058,138
  2. Commencement date - July 3, 2017 
  3. Project duration - 4 Months
  4. Proposed completion date - November 2, 2017  
  5. Geographical coverage - Lakhimpur & Karimganj districts of Assam
  6. Target - 5,000 Households 

The need for immediate relief is crucial and must be undertaken at a greater pace and on a larger scale.  The situation in camps, self-settled camps and villages is increasingly posing greater risk to public health. Our assessment team has recommended that immediate support must reach the worst affected people living in the self-settled camps. 

We need your urgent support to provide critical relief in Assam. Donate Now* > 

ABOUT OXFAM INDIA

OXFAM has been working in India since 1951 on both long-term development and humanitarian issues. 

Between 2008 to 2016, OXFAM India has delivered 25 humanitarian responses across the country, through which it has reached over 10,52,900 people, directly, as well as affected communities of many times greater that size.

* ALL DONATIONS MADE TO OXFAM INDIA ARE ELIGIBLE FOR 50% TAX EXEMPTION UNDER SECTION 80G

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