Cyclone Yaas devastated and damaged many regions in Bengal, widespread destruction was caused from heavy rain, powerful winds and storm surges in low-lying areas of South 24 Parganas leading to displacement of Millions of people.

IHA Foundation immediately dispatched their team of volunteers to Amlamethi, Marhurakhanda and Satya Narayanpur, Gosaba block Sunderbans, with relief material like tarpaulin, ropes, clothes, dry ration like muri, gur, chanachur, chira etc along with Ration kits consisting of rice, dal, oil, atta, tea, milk powder etc.

In this hour of crisis, as soon as information was received that about 250 families have been severely been affected by Cyclone YAAS, with a mission to scale up our efforts and encourage the team of volunteers at IHA Foundation Satnam Singh Ahluwalia led his team of volunteers to village Tangrar Char,Kulpi in South 24 Parganas to provide immediate relief to the people with a mission to bring their lives back to normal.

A truckload of Ration kits consisting of Rice, Dal, Oil, Atta, Tea, Milk Powder, Baby Food, Potatoes, Onion, Muri, Chira, Gur, Biscuit, Candle along with Saree, Lungi and clothes were distributed to 300 families for initial support.

Last year Amphan caused widespread damage even before these people could rebuild their lives from the previous one, cyclone Yaas hit them again. People didn’t die this time in the cyclone, but they might die of poverty as many have lost their means of livelihood. The base of many houses got washed away as the remaining structure stands on just bamboo due to water entering the entire village.

Our volunteers have been instructed to conduct surveys along with the locals to estimate damages caused due to the cyclone and are preparing a list of those who need immediate relief. People here don’t fear the coronavirus anymore. As before coronavirus can do anything to them, they beleive cyclones and hunger will kill them. Our first and foremost priority is to ensure that all the families who have been affected is provide adequate food and ration to sustain themselves, thereafter we shall move towards rehabilitation of the families and rebuild their homes.

This relief will be an ongoing process and we aim to reach more and more people, we believe the Government is doing the best for them, however we the people of Bengal need to reach to these people who have lost all hope this time. As Cyclone Yaas may not have been as powerful as cyclone Amphan in terms of destruction and there were not many dramatic photographs like blown roofs or wrecked houses like in 2020. But the less visibly alluring, saline water inundation of ponds and large stretches of farmland is much more devastating for the villagers with severe long-term effects.