New Delhi: A Caritas India team surprised a village headman when it returned with medical help to his village.
“I never thought that Caritas India would return after conducting the survey,” said Thongkholal (Thong_kho_lal), headman of K. Molmon village.
K. Molmon village was where Caritas had based one of its total 10 medical camps covering the northeastern states of Assam and Manipur. The village is in Chandel district of Manipur.
Thongkholal said many NGOS have come to his village to do survey but never bothered to return, even to say a word. “But Caritas India has brought a very big medical team to ensure better health in my village,” he said while blessing the team that was busy administering medicine to the elderly man.
The Caritas team came to the region after floods affected nearly 1.8 million people in the two states since July end. The Church aid agency’s zonal team brought relief to some 40,000 people with the help of five local member organizations based in Imphal, Kohima, Dibrugarh, Bongaingaon and Guwahati.
Thangsa, Caritas officer based in the zone, said they have spent more than 4.2 million rupees to distribute 236 quintals of ration and aids to the stranded families at various locations until mid August.
Nearly 1,000 people were given cash for work and 50 houses were restored besides making water, sanitation, medical support and other shelter supports were provided to thousands of families.
Among the priority groups were widows and people living with disabilities, he added.
Anjan Bag, leader of the Disaster Management Team at Caritas India head office said, “Although floods have been a perennial problem, especially in Assam, we notice change in the pattern as waters have begun to inundate wider and newer land surface.”
“We also realize that the need is much greater than we can respond,” he said underscoring the gravity of the flood situation in these parts of the country.
Bag also expressed concern for families living in the remote flood prone areas and said that Assam floods will be be a major agenda for advocacy to the government and international agencies participating in the upcoming International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction organized by Caritas on October 6-7.