Flood Relief
Tripura: Incessant heavy rainfall in the second week of July triggered flash floods in low-lying areas of Tripura. In its wake, Kailashahar centre distributed ration kits among 744 families in Dhalai and Unakoti districts from 9 to 12 July. Each kit contained 4 kg rice, 1 kg pulses, 500 g soya chunks, 1.5 kg potatoes, 400 ml cooking oil, 1 kg salt, 1 kg chira (rice flakes), 700 g sugar, 2 packets of biscuits, 200 g milk powder, a bar of bathing soap, and a shopping bag.
Fire Relief
West Bengal: In the first week of June, a devastating fire destroyed two houses in the Sourini Gram Panchayat of Darjeeling district. In response, Darjeeling centre distributed the following relief materials to each affected family on 3 July:
- A ration kit (containing 7 kg rice, 1 kg semolina, 1.5 kg pulses, 1 kg matar [peas], 1 kg soya chunks, 1 litre cooking oil, 1 kg salt, 430 g grounded spices, 1 kg sugar, a packet of biscuits and a shopping bag)
- A bedding set (comprising 2 mattresses, 2 blankets, 2 bedsheets, 4 pillows and a tarpaulin)
- A utensil set (containing a pressure cooker, a kadai [wok], 2 casseroles, a saucepan, 4 plates, 2 bowls, 2 ladles, 4 spoons, 2 buckets and 2 mugs)
- A toiletries set (comprising 3 bathing soaps, a laundry soap, 3 dishwashing soaps, 500 g detergent powder, a bottle of hair oil, 32 sachets of shampoo, a packet of diapers and 6 toothbrushes)
- A stationery set (with 6 notebooks, 2 pens, 2 pencils, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, a ruler and a school bag)
- 24 corrugated tin sheets.
Summer Relief
The following centres distributed buttermilk to thirsty passers-by, as detailed below:
- Kamarpukur: 1470 litres of buttermilk from 19 May to 29 June.
- Rajamahendravaram: 18,000 glasses of buttermilk from mid-April to mid-June.
Distress Relief
The following centres distributed various items to needy people, as detailed below:
India:
Antpur: 100 saris, 800 dhotis, 500 uttariyas, 100 mosquito nets and 200 bedsheets on 28 June.
Balurghat: 150 saris on 29 June.
Coimbatore Mission: 991 meals and 116 kg nutrition powder from 26 June to 26 July.
Hatamuniguda: 100 saris, 100 lungis and 100 dhotis on 7 July.
Jalpaiguri: 2745 kg mangoes from 2 to 11 July.
Jayrambati: 200 kg pulses, 100 kg soya chunks, 100 litres cooking oil, 30 kg assorted spices, 100 saris, 100 bottles of hair oil, 100 bars of bathing soap, 100 bars of washing soap and 100 kg detergent powder on 20 July.
Krishnanagar: 30 meals, 173 packets of biscuits, 17 kg milk powder, 173 bottles of hair oil, 173 tubes of toothpaste, 173 toothbrushes, 173 tongue cleaners, 173 bars of toilet soap and 43 kg detergent powder from 8 to 21 July.
Kuralbhanga: 24 ration kits in May and June. Each kit contained 1 kg flour, 1 litre cooking oil, 1 kg salt, 1 kg sugar, 100 g tea powder, 200 g milk powder, a bar of bathing soap, and 500 g detergent powder.
Limbdi: 520 kg wheat, 150 kg flour, 60 kg rice, 30 kg pulses, 30 litres cooking oil, 22.5 kg assorted spices, 30 kg salt, 30 kg sugar, 7.5 kg tea powder, 150 packets of biscuits and 30 tarpaulins in June.
Malda: 100 kg rice and 400 kg potatoes from 7 to 28 June.
Naora: 1000 kg rice, 200 kg gram, 200 litres cooking oil, 200 packets of biscuits and 200 mangoes on 23 June.
Thirumukkudal: 210 meals and 140 provision kits on 11 July. Each kit contained 5 kg rice, 1.75 kg pulses, 500 ml cooking oil, 400 g ground spices, 1 kg salt, a bar of bathing soap, and a bar of laundry soap. In addition, 47 packets of diapers were distributed on the same day.
Vadodara: 280 kg flour, 120 kg rice, 50 kg pulses, 30 litres cooking oil, 40 kg salt, 10 kg assorted spices, 40 kg sugar, 10 kg tea powder and 20 bars of bathing soap on 1 and 20 July.
Varanasi Home of Service: 1469 kg dalia (wheat groats), 70 kg chira, 314.5 kg soya chunks, 36 kg gram, 10 kg groundnuts, 16 litres cooking oil, 128 litres milk, 6 kg malt drink mix, 176 packets of biscuits, 78 kg dry fruits, 29 kg sweets, 100 tubes of toothpaste, 202 bars of bathing soap and 20 litres sanitizer from 1 May to 19 June.
Viveknagar, Agartala: (a) 1885 food packets from 23 June to 21 July. (b) 110 ration kits in July. Each kit contained 5 kg rice, 1 kg pulses, 1 kg puffed rice, 500 ml cooking oil, 400 g ground spices, 1 kg salt, 1 kg sugar, 250 g tea powder, 1 kg milk powder, 500 g detergent powder, a bottle of hair oil and a tube of toothpaste.
Fiji: Nadi: 20 kg rice, 4 kg flour, 1 kg pulses, 2 litres cooking oil, 350 g assorted spices, 100 tea bags, 100 assorted garments, 16 packets of diapers, 6 wheelchairs, 2 wheelie walkers, a shower chair and 17 hospital beds between January and July.
South Africa:
Durban: 1420 meals, 544 kg rice, 115 kg flour, 75.5 kg pasta, 415 kg maize meal, 384 kg pulses, 144 kg porridge, 70 kg cabbages, 246 litres cooking oil, 181 kg salt, 20 bottles of peanut butter, 184 cans of jam, 522 cans of tinned food, 125 litres fruit juice, 180 soup packets, 20,420 tea bags, 145 litres milk, 200 sandwiches, 187 kg sugar, 160 matchboxes, 127 bars of bathing soap, 195 bars of laundry soap, 78 tubes of toothpaste, 10 packets of adult diapers, 71 blankets, 50 pet blankets, 80 bedsheets, 40 pillow covers, 26 comforters, 25 comforters covers, 253 shopping bags and 25 kg pet food in July.
Phoenix: 1000 kg rice, 20 kg fortified cereals, 85 kg maize meal, 20 kg flour, 20 kg pasta, 100 kg porridge, 40 kg semolina, 260 kg pulses, 200 kg macaroni, 25 kg soya chunks, 694 kg assorted vegetables, 48 kg assorted spices, 105 kg salt, 1120 litres cooking oil, 422 cans of tinned food, 275 kg soup powder, 1750 sachets of cereal, 2010 packets of biscuits, 150 cakes, 297 kg snacks, 325 litres fruit juice, 12 kg sweetmeat, 250 sweets, 115 loaves of bread, 120 kg fruits, 250 bars of chocolate, 78 litres flavoured milk, 529 litres milk, 13,500 teabags, 145 kg sugar, 270 matchboxes, 235 bars of bathing soap, 35 bars of laundry soap, 25 tubes of toothpaste, 60 toothbrushes, 320 sanitary pads, 714 adult napkins, 11 school bags, 5 pairs of shoes, 300 educational toys, 1400 pairs of medical gloves, 23 packets of seeds, 2 prepaid electricity vouchers and a wheelchair in July.
Distress Rehabilitation
India: Kerala: Koyilandy centre, with financial assistance from the Headquarters, built a house for a poor family in Kozhikode district, under the ‘Build your own house’ scheme. The house was handed over to the family on 15 July.
Bangladesh: Addressing the scarcity of fresh water in the saline region of Bhetkhali village in Satkhira district, Bagerhat centre distributed 20 rainwater-harvesting tanks (500-litre capacity each) to 20 poor families of the region on 7 July.
Economic Rehabilitation
Odisha: Puri Math provided 22 sewing machines and fabric scissors to twenty-two women from 5 to 10 July, upon the completion of their tailoring course at the Math’s vocational training centre.
Infrastructural Support
Fiji: Fiji centre handed over 2200 eyeglasses, 24 baby water bottles, 21 straw cups, 16 breast pumps with bottles, 20 boxes of assorted surgical supplies, 20 digital thermometers, 20 stethoscopes, 2 palm aneroid sphygmomanometers, 2 CBG monitoring machines and a stainless steel serving trolley to the hospitals and health centres in Fiji between January and July.