Flooding is a recurring part of life in Assam - nearly 40% of the state is classified as flood-prone by India's National Flood Commission. Assam lies on the vast floodplain of the Brahmaputra, which flows down from the Himalayas and is fed by more than 50 tributaries.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said districts in Nagaland and Assam received rainfall between about 435% and 490% above normal during July 21-24, causing rivers to rise at an unprecedented speed.
Upper Assam, where tributaries from the surrounding hills feed the Brahmaputra, bore the brunt of the flooding. Districts including Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat were among the worst hit. As villages were cut off, rescue teams struggled to reach stranded families.
Government data says more than 600,000 people have been affected, with tens of thousands displaced and living in relief camps. Reports of deaths vary from 60 to 100, and there is massive damage of property, livestock, standing crops and other assets
Rise Against Hunger India is responding to this flood situation. In Nazira Circle, Sivasagar District, food kits were provided to 350 vulnerable households, benefiting approximately 1,500 people, and freshly cooked meals are given to around 300 people staying in temporary relief shelters. With the help of local partners, we are supporting emergency hygiene needs, including sanitary pads for 200 women and adolescent girls, to help ensure safe and dignified menstrual hygiene during the crisis.
In the next phase, 400 additional dry ration kits are ready for distribution to the most vulnerable households to strengthen household food security. Alongside this, we are coordinating to support affected households with psychosocial support, drinking water distribution, coordination with government departments, and community mobilization.
Further, we plan to scale up the response as per need for flood-affected families across Upper and Eastern Assam. Our overall approach is to provide immediate food and essential relief support in a timely, coordinated and dignified manner, working closely with local authorities, community volunteers and humanitarian partners.
Over the next three months, we plan to support the affected population with the following:
Ration/Fortified meals
100,000 Packaged ready-to-cook meals (dry ration along with vitamins & minerals)
500 Ready to Eat Kits (Energy bar, digestive biscuits, bun, water, butter milk, etc.)
2000 Food Kit (Dry ration such as Cereals, pulses, spices, Cooking Oil, Salt, Sugar etc)
5000 cooked meals
1000 personal hygiene kits/sanitary pads
1000 Household Kits (basic utensils, Water storage Containers, Bedsheet, Sleeping Mat, Towel, and others as per need)
