Wayanad Landslides

Response to the Wayanad Landslides

The Wayanad landslides on 30 July 2024 had a devastating impact on the people of the Mundakkai region. Two villages were destroyed, 231 people died, 212 parts of bodies were recovered, and 128 people remain untraced. Twelve billion rupees worth of property, infrastructure, crops and cattle were destroyed.

Both the government and non-governmental agencies/individuals responded very quickly and generously to the disaster. Relief operations were done in collaboration with the government and non-government agencies such as BREADS could only offer support.

As a local presence, Don Bosco Sultan Bathery, was able to collaborate closely with the government to reach out to affected people through its Don Bosco College staff and students. BREADS, other individuals and institutions supported DB College with material, financial and human resources.

The 300-strong college team was organised and deployed for various purposes, including evacuation of survivors and transporting them to relief camps. They helped in camp organisation, procured and packed relief materials and delivered them to relief camps and affected individuals. Students also volunteered in 41 camps-serving in all capacities according to the need, also supporting the district administration at the Collectorate for data entry and relief management. Real time communication among the team, volunteers, and people in need, ensured effective coordination and prompt response to the situation as it unfolded. Devastating disasters such as this sudden landslide have huge psychological impact on the survivors, as they try to cope with loss of loved ones and a way of living. BREADS-appointed counsellors and DB College staff offered trauma counselling to affected people especially children, in the relief camps. A helpdesk was set up in DB College in collaboration with the Kerala Association of Professional Social Work (KAPS) to support people.

Kuttiyidam Initiative: A Space for Children:

(KAPS) and the District Child Protection unit (DCPU), Don Bosco counsellors conducted the ‘Kuttiyidam’ programme, to creat a supportive environment for children in the relief camps. Kuttiyidam offered structured activities such as storytelling, art, and play, to reduce stress, encourage emotional expression and teach coping strategies to handle trauma. Group sessions were conducted to foster peer support and share experiences in a nurturing environment.

Going Forward

As of 24 August 2024, all 702 families (a total of 2556 individuals) residing in various relief camps were relocated to rented houses, government quarters, and the homes of relatives.

Going forward into the next phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction of lives and livelihoods, BREADS is in discussion with local partners and communities to identify the needs of the affected people and ways of addressing them. Some interventions are the provision of professional counsellors, who can support people through life adjustments in the coming months, as well as assistance towards materials required in the temporary rented homes of the survivors. In collaboration with the district administration, long term rehabilitation plans, especially for building houses for the victims, are underway.

BREADS and its Don Bosco partners especially intend to support children in the landslide-affected areas, through various interventions: Future interventions planned are given below

Educational support through learning materials and scholarships
Psychological support for traumatised children
Enabling disaster preparedness for children in schools
Capacity building of teachers to provide support for traumatised children
Organising events and group activities to bring them back to the normal rhythm of life

As the beloved Kerala festival of Onam approaches in September, it is a very sorrowful reminder of everything lost, and yet it also carries the message of renewal and hope in every season of life. BREADS is working with the district administration to specially commemorate the festival with the survivors of disaster.

Thank you very much for helping the people in Wayanad through BREADS and the Don Bosco family. With your continued support, wWe hope that we will be able to effectively help children, and their families find their footing again as they embark on the long difficult journey of rebuilding their lives.