The region of Jammu and Kashmir has a lengthy history of natural calamities, including severe earthquakes, destructive floods, avalanches, landslides, and windstorms. These events are influenced by its unique topography, rugged landscapes, extreme weather patterns, and distinct geographical and climatic conditions. For instance, on October 8, 2005, the area experienced a devastating earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, resulting in thousands of casualties and injuries. In September 2014, the region was hit by catastrophic floods that claimed nearly 300 lives and severely damaged more than 250,000 houses across all districts, displacing over 550,000 people.
ELFA INTERNATIONAL has undertaken extensive training programs in inclusive disaster risk reduction across Jammu & Kashmir, involving students, faculty members from schools, colleges, and universities, as well as government and non-government officials. We have been meticulously training communities on various aspects of Disaster Management and Mitigation and are conducting regular sessions/mock drills in colleges and communities to improve disaster resilience at grass roots. Going beyond trainings, we took practical initiatives towards disaster resilience by distributing “School Safety Kits” to the various schools of the UT and this process is still going on. Besides, we have been pursuing a thorough and result oriented advocacy with the government for disaster resilient communities and schools in particular.
Our response is not limited to disasters, but round the year, our programs like “Food for all”, “Winterization relief” continue to operate and benefit the community. We ensure that in our humanitarian outreach, we cover the entire span of the UT and address both short-term challenges emerging from disasters and the long-term recurrent challenges faced by people.
