In the last week of August, floodwaters swept through parts of India’s mountainous Jammu and Kashmir region with unprecedented, unimaginable force. In Hindu-majority Jammu, villages like Mandal, Akalpur, Akhnoor, Bari Brahmana, and Samba, families watched helplessly as homes were damaged, food stocks ruined, and entire neighbourhoods submerged.
Within hours, hundreds of people were forced to abandon everything and take shelter wherever they could find space. By the time the waters began to recede, at least 165 families had lost their homes and belongings. Hunger and fear gripped the survivors.
The difficulties faced by flood-affected people prompted the Catholic Social Service Society (CSSS) of Jammu to step forward. With the support of Caritas India, the Church agency launched emergency relief efforts on Aug. 31, barely three days after the floods struck. The team was led by Father Senoj Thomas and included a small group of staff and a dozen volunteers who quickly mobilized to reach families before conditions worsened. Food was the most urgent need for victims as many spent days with little food. Food ration kits came to them as a lifeline.
Each family received rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, salt, sugar, pulses, spices, biscuits, and even a packet of Nutri, a nutritional supplement that many mothers use to prepare meals for children. These kits contained enough items for families to live on for two weeks, giving them enough time to recover and rebuild some stability after the chaos of the floods. The CSSS carefully reached out to the affected family and ensured they were treated with dignity throughout the process. Lists were prepared in advance, names were called, and distribution happened in an orderly way.
