Crisis response summary: India - Flooding

On 9 - 11 November 2015, heavy rains led to severe flooding and landslides in Tamil Nadu, southern India, destroying roughly 25,000 homes, damaging toughly 53,000 homes, killing at least 92 people and thousands of cattle, destroying around 50,000 acres of crops, damaging transport links and power connections, and leading to the evacuation of 29,000 people to temporary government-managed centres, apart from 2,000 families from Dalit and Adivasi castes.

On 14 November, Christian Aid alerted the Start Fund, noting the immediate needs of vulnerable groups who remained excluded from the support of the Indian government, as well as a short-term gap in funding from institutional donors.

On 17 November, 72.25 hours after the Start Fund alert, £55,000 was awarded to two agencies (CARE and World Vision) to address needs related to FSL (dry food kits), Shelter (shelter kits) and WaSH (hygiene kits) in Cuddalore district.

Agencies experienced several challenges during implementation. Heavy and continuous rain over the 45-day project period increased the needs of affected people and required both agencies to use alternative and in many cases longer routes for distribution. Additionally, CARE noted delays in identifying aid recipients due to the presence of many political leaders in damage assessments.

These two projects reached 4,459 people (50% female, 50% male) with £228,228, 15% of affected people and 1,206 fewer people than planned. The target population was selected based on household vulnerability and damage severity. Agencies targeted underprivileged communities that were most affected by the flooding, predominantly socially/economically-suppressed Dalit families residing in huts in low lying, interior villages that were excluded at the time from government initiatives. Among this population, particular attention was paid to women (especially widows, pregnant women and single women), children, persons with disabilities, female-headed households, and the elderly. Children under 18 (33%) and people over 50 (11%) together made up 44% of people reached.