CBCI Launches Nationwide Appeal to Support Assam Flood Victims

New Delhi, August 3, 2026: As thousands of families in Assam continue to grapple with the aftermath of devastating floods, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), in collaboration with Caritas India, has launched a National Humanitarian Appeal, urging dioceses, religious congregations, parishes, Catholic educational institutions, and people of goodwill across the country to extend generous support to the affected communities.

The appeal follows exceptionally heavy monsoon rains that began on July 19, 2026, triggering severe flash floods across Nagaland and Upper Assam. The floods have claimed lives, displaced thousands of families, and caused extensive damage to homes, cropland, livestock, roads, bridges, and other essential infrastructure. While floodwaters have begun to recede in some areas, the humanitarian crisis remains severe, with thousands of families continuing to require urgent assistance.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) update issued on July 31, 2026, the cumulative flood death toll in Assam has risen to 80. More than 2.12 lakh people remain affected, while 437 villages continue to be inundated. A total of 75,583 people are taking shelter in 112 relief camps and distribution centres. The floods have also damaged over 17,198 hectares of agricultural land, severely affecting livelihoods. The districts of Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, and Golaghat remain among the worst affected.

The appeal highlights that countless families have lost their homes, food stocks, and means of livelihood, leaving them in urgent need of safe shelter, food, clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene support, protection services, and assistance to rebuild their lives.

Responding swiftly to the crisis, Caritas India, the social and humanitarian arm of the CBCI, has initiated emergency humanitarian assistance through its diocesan partner, Seva Kendra Dibrugarh, in close coordination with government authorities, local Church institutions, and the Assam Inter-Agency Group. The first phase of the response focuses on the distribution of shelter kits, hygiene kits, safe drinking water, and food supplies. A comprehensive field assessment will guide the second phase of interventions, which will focus on relief, recovery, and livelihood restoration based on the resources mobilized through this National Humanitarian Appeal.

In the appeal, Cardinal Anthony Poola, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India, and Archbishop Linus Neli Imphal, Chairman of Caritas India, urged the Church in India to stand in solidarity with the flood-affected communities by contributing generously to the CBCI National Humanitarian Appeal.

Caritas India affirmed that all contributions received through the National Humanitarian Appeal will be utilized exclusively for the Assam Flood Response 2026, in accordance with established humanitarian standards, ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective humanitarian assistance to those most in need.

The appeal concludes by inviting the faithful and all people of goodwill to express their Christian solidarity through prayer, compassion, and generous financial support. It expresses the hope that the collective response of the Church will bring relief, restore dignity, and renew hope among families struggling to recover from one of the most devastating flood emergencies in the region.

Courtesy: CBCI News