Kerala is battling the greatest devastation seen nearly in a century due to the unprecedented floods. The damage created on lives, property, agriculture and plants are huge. The massive hit by the rain triggered fear, havoc and chaos where over 350 have lost life, thousands are missing and more than 350000 have been displaced from their homes. In addition, the government estimates a loss of about one lakh buildings, 10,000 kms of highways and roads, hundreds of bridges and crops in millions of hectares of land have been lost. Many of those who died are believed to have been crushed under debris caused by landslides. Admitting that the path to recovery can be long and arduous, maximum efforts are taken towards the relief activities and people from all over the state and nation have extended their full consent and support.
Imbibing the crisis faced by people in Kerala, BREADS Don Bosco coordinated the relief activities by gathering contributions from four collection points in Bangalore. The generous contributions included in cash and kind, where many came forward voluntarily to support the lives of people stranded by flood in Kerala. There are millions of people rendered homeless and have taken shelter in relief camps. Don Bosco institutions were opened to the affected people as relief camps in the disaster hit places namely at Don Bosco Vaduthala Kochin, Do Bosco Mangalam, Alappey, Don Bosco Cultural Academy Vennala, Don Bosco Bhavan Mannuthy and Don Bosco Irinjalakuda.
These places were in immediate need of food supplies, clothes, medicines, nutritional supplements, drinking water, first aid and health kits, toiletries, sleeping items etc. In response to their emergency situation, the supplies were collected and dispatched to Irinjalakuda on 21st, on 22nd to, Vaduthala, Kochin and on 29th to Angamaly and Kuttandau, Alappey. BREADS even coordinated the relief activities more extensively through the relief camps and individual identification of the needy in villages. The relief activities were extended to 81 villages in the 9 worst affected districts in Kerala. The relief activities will continue on need-based assessment of the situation as even though the waters have begun to recede, the condition is yet not favourable for healthy living. The post relief works especially the cleaning of houses, purification of contaminated wells and regaining the healthy environment is a challenge in front. BREADS is grateful to the solidarity expressed by all the donors and well-wishers rightly intervening at this moment of crisis to support the relief activities in the flood affected areas in Kerala.
