Inter-Agency Rapid Needs Assessment Report - Draft Floods and Landslides, Kerala – October 2021

Heavy monsoon rains in October 2021, under the influence of low-pressure area over southeast Arabian Sea, the state of Kerala received heavy rainfall across several districts. The heavy rainfall resulted in landslides and flash floods across multiple locations in the state. Massive landslide incidents occurred in Koottickal and Mundakkayam in Kottayam and Kokkayar in Idukki Districts. A total of 54 deaths were reported and 3 missing as of 22th October, 2021. The Government and humanitarian stakeholders supported affected communities and mobilized resources to provide food and non-food items to people in affected areas. However, even though, compared to the 2018 and 2019 monsoon flood, the 2021 floods and landslides is not that widespread, it has impacted many districts, and the distress to the people and disruption created is severe and impact may last for a longer period in these regions. This is notably since the affected region and population were not prepared for it, and the prolonged impact of floods in 2018 and 2019 is still lurking in these areas.

The rapid needs assessment report reveal that there are still persisting needs at the community level. To have an overview on the effects and impact of the disaster, there is a proposal to conduct a ‘Post Emergency Response Inter-Agency  Joint  Needs  Assessment’ for  modalities  of  further  intervention.  The worst affected four districts (Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki) were selected as assessment area. The objective of this assessment is to present the full extent of the floods and landslides – October 2021 impact, define the current needs, and, in so doing, serve as the basis for designing strategy and guide to prioritized interventions.

The assessment emphasis on the aspects of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Education (Schools), Food and Nutrition (Anganwadi centres, etc.), Protection, Health, etc in the affected areas on the most affected four districts.