OUR CORRESPONDENT
JORHAT: North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS), a local organisation based in Jorhat, has reached more than 45,000 people through its ongoing humanitarian response across the flood-affected districts of Jorhat, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat and Dhemaji in Upper Assam.
The floods have severely affected communities across the region, causing damage to homes, agricultural land, livelihoods and essential household assets. Many families continue to face difficulties in accessing safe water, sanitation, essential supplies and livelihood opportunities even as floodwaters recede from several areas.
Working directly with affected communities, NEADS emergency response teams, community volunteers and local partners are supporting families based on their immediate and emerging needs. The response is focused on safe water, sanitation and hygiene, hygiene and dignity support, essential non-food items, emergency shelter, protection and early recovery assistance, with particular attention to vulnerable households.
“We have reached more than 45,000 people so far across five flood-affected districts. This is an important milestone, but the needs remain enormous. Our teams and volunteers will continue working with communities and partners to reach more families who require urgent humanitarian support,” said Tirtha Prasad Saikia, Director, NEADS.
As part of its response, NEADS has also undertaken multi-sectoral Post-Disaster Needs Assessments (PDNA) in severely affected areas of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat. The assessments are helping identify the impact of the floods and priority needs related to shelter, WASH, health, food security and livelihoods, agriculture, livestock, essential household items and community infrastructure.
The organisation is also strengthening coordination with humanitarian agencies, civil society organisations, government authorities, community groups and volunteers to improve information sharing, identify gaps and ensure that assistance reaches affected communities without duplication.
NEADS hosted a Humanitarian Coordination Meeting on the Upper Assam Flood Response at its office in Jorhat under the aegis of the Inter-Agency Group (IAG), Assam. Organisations engaged in the flood response participated in the meeting to share operational updates, discuss emerging needs and identify areas requiring greater collective action.