Oxfam India is all set to launch its emergency response in the four flood and landslide affected states of Assam, Manipur and Tripura.
Oxfam India which primarily works through grassroots organisations to bring deep-rooted sustainable changes in people’s lives, said in a statement that the organisation has already launched its response in Karimganj in Assam, Unakoti district in Tripura, Imphal East and Thoubal districts in Manipur.
“Following our rapid assessment in the flood affected areas of Manipur on June 16 and 17, we’ve identified some of the areas where we can extend help from our side,” Public health officer Domaki Bhutia of Oxfam India said on phone.
“Based on the assessment, we’ll be giving shelter and hygiene kits to the needy ones,” he said.
Over 0.6 million people have been affected in the current wave of flood in the four states. Karimganj and Hailakandi are the worst affected districts in Assam, according to government sources.
While all eight districts of Tripura are reeling under floods—Unakoti is the worst hit. Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal and Bishnupur in Manipur and Kolasib, Mamit and Lunglei in Mizoram are other worst hit areas.
“We’ll also be distributing rice, dal, edible oil etc in some parts of the Imphal East district while temporary toilets will be installed besides distributing water tanks in Thoubal district once our stock arrives,” said Bhutia who is currently moving around in and flood affected areas of Manipur.
During the last four years, Oxfam India has responded to more than 35 humanitarian disasters across the country and directly provided relief to nearly 1.2 million people.
Last year, Oxfam India reached out to over 19200 most vulnerable households across five states—Assam, Manipur, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat.
Oxfam India with its partners will provide immediate humanitarian relief and also support resilience building measures to help the flood affected communities rebuild their lives, it added.
“We are providing clean water, building toilets, distributing emergency food, medicines and creating temporary shelter in the affected areas. We will focus on building the resilience of the most vulnerable communities to the recurring floods in these areas.
“We need to ensure that communities are not displaced, children are not forced to stay out of school, women are not compelled to choose between a sanitary pad and food for their families, and the marginalized are not further pushed into poverty,” said Oxfam India Chief Executive Officer Amitabh Behar.