This is an urgent appeal for donations to help the victims of the devastating landslides in Wayanad. The disastrous landslides still causing devastation in Wayanad in the northeastern part of Kerala are uncovering stories of death, destruction and unimaginable loss. More than 200 people are dead, over 500 are suffering from injuries, around 10,000 displaced people are taking shelter in relief camps and hundreds more are still missing underneath the rocks and debris.
The devastating Wayanad landslides occurred in the early hours of the morning, from 2:00 am to 4:00 am on July 30th while people were still asleep, catching them off guard and leaving them shocked at the rapid destruction occurring around them. The sudden nature of the Wayanad landslides combined with the instant destruction led to the high death toll and need for urgent relief efforts.
Give.do has partnered with ActionAid Association to provide clean water, food, medicines and temporary shelter to affected people. ActionAid Association is on-ground in Wayanad right now working to reach the most affected with their urgent needs and for the men, women and children who are displaced, homeless, injured and starving, your generous support can help meet people’s basic needs.
In the midst of the devastation and suffering, there have been heartwarming stories of humanity emerging from ground zero in Wayanad. Here are 3 stories of humanity emerging from the depths of suffering in Wayanad to give people hope in the midst of tragedy and encourage us to step forward and do our part to help people in need of rescue in Wayanad:
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Forest officers rescue tribal children in a water-filled cave
An exhausted woman was spotted wandering the forest with a small child, aged 5. The forest officials who saw her attempted to bring her to safety but the woman was reluctant to respond to the forest officials since she rarely emerges from the caves where their tribal communities dwell. But in desperate need of help, she explained that her husband and children were trapped and starving inside a water-filled cave.
The Kalpetta forest officials walked four kilometers on unstable and rocky terrain and used rope to lower themselves into the cave where the father and three children, including a toddler, were crouched inside the cave. The forest officials tied each child to themselves using a makeshift sling out of a blanket and carried them out one by one out of the cave and up the rock to safety. “It was very risky. Failure would have led to us falling into a 100-meter gorge,” explained the team of forest officials K. Ashif, Jayachandran, K. Anil Kumar and Anoop Thomas. But thanks to their daring compassion, this tribal family including four young children were saved.
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Grandmother and granddaughter seek shelter with wild elephants
When the landslides hit Wayanad, Sujatha Aninachira and her granddaughter Mridula’s home in Chooralmala immediately collapsed. Sujatha pulled herself out of the rubble and looked for her granddaughter but couldn’t find her anywhere. She heard a faint voice calling for help underneath the rubble of their home and saw her small hand desperately reaching out. She pulled Mridula out, grabbed her and the two swam through the floods trying to find shelter.
Sujatha and her granddaughter reached a hilltop and were walking ahead when they came face to face with three adult wild tuskers. It was nighttime and grandmother and granddaughter were terrified. Exhausted and frightened, Sujatha pleaded with the elephants to allow them to rest near the elephants’ feet. In what can only be explained as appearing to understand their needs, the three elephants approached them in a non-threatening manner and made Sujatha and Mridula feel comfortable enough to lay down beside their legs and fall asleep. The elephants stayed by their side throughout the night until they were rescued by people in the early hours of the morning.
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Indian Army constructs a bridge in 31 hours to hasten rescue efforts
In the first few hours after the disaster in Wayanad, the urgent need focused on rescue efforts and bringing in personnel and relief supplies. But because of continuous rainfall, rescue efforts were hampered. So the Madras Engineering Group of the Indian Army began construction of a Bailey bridge in a record 31 hours to connect Mundakkai and Chooralmala, two areas that are worst affected by the landslides. Indian Army personnel began construction at 9:30 pm and completed their work at 5:30 pm the following day to allow ambulances and other heavy machinery and equipment to reach the affected areas.
The 70-member Madras Engineering Group of the Indian Army worked swiftly to remove debris, heavy rocks and uprooted trees to construct the 190-foot Bailey bridge, amid rainfall. The bridge can carry 24 tonnes and was completed under the leadership of Major Sita Ashok Shelke is the only female member of the Madras Engineering Group. The modular Bailey bridge, which was first used during World War 2, will allow the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other personnel to reach the dead, stranded and missing.
Wayanad needs your help
By supporting this urgent fundraiser, you will help our on-ground NGO partner ActionAid Association procure and deliver much needed aid to people in desperate need of clean water, food, medicines and temporary shelter. Rainfall continues in Wayanad district, causing further devastation and slowing down relief efforts. But as these three heartwarming stories show, when there is a will, there is a way. The generous donations of individuals can help provide urgent basic necessities to the affected and help get people back up on their feet. To donate to this emergency fundraiser:
📷: @adgpi (X)
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Shirley has been in the development sector for over 10 years and is passionate about making a change in the world around her, including adopting dogs and writing to make a difference.
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