“We stand by the people of Kerala in this difficult time”: Reliance Foundation announces

Wayanad, August 6, 2024: As landslides at Wayanad have created heartrending scenes of devastation, everything possible needs to be done to support the people at this time. Reliance Foundation as part of deep commitment to the nation, especially in its most challenging hours, announced a multi-pronged approach to support the people of Wayanad in the immediate, mid-term and long-term.

In co-ordination with the government authorities and the disaster management teams in the district, Reliance Foundation is on the field in co-ordination with local authorities to provide all possible support. The teams are delivering immediate relief to people located in camps including milk and fruits for essential nutrition. Over the next few weeks and months, Reliance Foundation has committed to holistic immediate, mid-term and long-term support for the severely affected district, along with sustainable initiatives to address prevention, strengthen early warning and early action.

Expressing grief at the unprecedented events in Kerala, Mrs. Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation, said, “We are deeply pained by the suffering of the people of Wayanad and the immense damage caused by the landslides. At this time of extreme sorrow, our hearts go out to every single person and family who has been affected. Our Reliance Foundation teams on the ground are supporting the immediate response, recovery and long-term requirements for the people of the district. We stand by the people of Kerala in this difficult time.”

Earlier, during the floods of 2018, 2019, 2021 and through COVID-19, Reliance Foundation has provided relief and follow-up support to the state of Kerala. Building on its long-term disaster risk resilience initiatives, Reliance Foundation will strengthen collaborative and community-based efforts at Wayanad and other vulnerable regions in the country.

Reliance Foundation’s multi-pronged commitment to Wayanad includes:

1.     Food & nutrition including providing ready-to-eat nutritious foods including fruits and milk, dry rations, kitchen utensils and other essentials such as stoves to help families resume kitchens.

2.     Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) including provision of toiletries, essential hygiene requirements and basic daily requirements for hygiene and health.

3.     Shelter & living essentials including temporary shelters for affected populations, bedding, solar lanterns and torches, clothing and cleaning material to help people restart their households.

4.     Sustainable livelihood recovery for affected families including seeds, fodder, tools and vocational training to diversify income sources and focus on resilient agriculture tailored to Wayanad’s unique ecosystem.

5.     Education support including books and play material to ensure continuity of education for affected children.

6.     Ensuring reliable connectivity, Reliance Jio has installed dedicated towers and provided Jio Bharat phones, enhancing communication for residents, rescue workers, and disaster management teams to streamline activities and rebuild lives.

7.     Psycho-social support and community healing including counselling for trauma-affected individuals with experts, for social interaction to help people heal. These measures include special efforts to support children and youth.

The Reliance Foundation team has already swiftly deployed personnel on the field for relief and is in discussions with state authorities. Each of the planned measures are being progressively rolled out synchronizing with the state and the other disaster response agencies to ensure that response is effective, reaching the people in a timely manner, in their darkest hour of pain.

Reliance Foundation remains committed to supporting the people of Wayanad in the long term, to enable a resilient and thriving community for the future.