Last September, heavy and incessant rain flooded 700 villages in Assam, India, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to abandon their homes.
The exceptionally heavy monsoon rain resulted in a nearby river and its streams breaking their banks.
The floods were devastating for Phulmoti Kumala, a 65-year-old widow living in the village of Khajua Nepali in Assam. Her home was severely damaged and she had no choice but to live in a makeshift hut.
Safe and secure homes
Thanks to ECHO (Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department of the European Commission) and our partners, Rural Volunteers Centre (RVC) and Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development (SEEDS), 250 vulnerable families affected by the floods now have safe and secure homes.
Not only has Phulmoti been provided with a toolkit, bamboo and corrugated iron sheeting, but a mason and labourer were employed to do the necessary work to rebuild her home.
Phulmoti said: ‘Living in a makeshift camp at this age is very painful. I am grateful to ECHO and Christian Aid for the support. I can now see out my days in my own home.’
Effects of extreme weather
Phulmoti’s district has developed ways to prepare and cope with the weather as it is prone to flooding each year.
However, the severity of the 2012 floods left the community helpless. It was the third and most destructive wave of floods to affect the region in just three months.
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Discover more stories from the communities who have been helped since the Assam floods.