In July 2023, when the Yamuna River breached danger levels, it wasn’t just water that entered homes—it was fear, chaos, and despair. Thousands of families living along the riverbanks in makeshift settlements were washed out overnight, left without shelter, food, or basic necessities.
While the floodwaters surged, so did the need for action. The Nitish Sahay Foundation, true to its mission of serving the last person standing, launched one of its most intensive and compassionate rescue operations to date. This is the story of that mission—a humanitarian case study in urgency, empathy, and resilience.
The Situation: A Crisis Unfolds
Entire communities in Yamuna Khadar were submerged.
- Huts collapsed, washing away years of belongings.
- Children went missing, families were separated.
- Clean drinking water, food, medicines, and clothes were nowhere to be found.
- Most victims were daily wage workers, already living on the edge of poverty.
Traditional rescue mechanisms were slow to arrive. Government shelters were overcrowded. In this vacuum of response, the humanitarian urgency was real and immediate.
The Response: Fast, Grounded, and Compassionate
Within 12 hours of the flooding, the Nitish Sahay Foundation deployed emergency rescue teams, working shoulder-to-shoulder with local volunteers. Our priorities were:
1. Rescue and Evacuation
- Boats and volunteers helped evacuate women, children, and elderly from waterlogged areas.
- Temporary shelters were arranged using local schools and community spaces.
- Special care was taken for pregnant women, infants, and the disabled.
2. Emergency Relief Camps
We set up relief camps offering:
- Hot cooked meals through our Food for All kitchens
- Clean drinking water and oral rehydration salts
- Sanitary napkins and hygiene kits through Pad The Way
- Blankets, clothes, and slippers for the displaced
- First-aid support and doctor-on-call services
3. Reunification and Counselling
- We created helpdesks to reunite separated family members.
- Psychological first-aid and trauma counselling sessions were held, especially for children.
The Impact: Beyond Numbers
In just 7 days, we supported over:
- 5,000+ individuals with food
- 1,200 women with hygiene kits
- 800 children with clean clothes and basic education kits
- Over 25 families were reunited through our helpdesks.
But more than these numbers, what we restored was dignity, faith, and stability.
Lessons Learned
This flood taught us that:
- Preparedness saves lives. Community-based disaster readiness is critical.
- Empathy moves faster than bureaucracy. While systems take time, people can act now.
- Women and children suffer disproportionately in disasters—focused intervention is essential.
- Local partnerships and youth volunteers are the backbone of any successful humanitarian effort.
The Road Ahead
While waters receded, the challenges didn’t. We continue to work on:
- Permanent rehabilitation and skill-building for displaced families
- Education continuity for children affected
- Promoting flood-resilient infrastructure and awareness
At Nitish Sahay Foundation, we don’t see disasters as numbers or news cycles—we see people, names, stories, and futures. The Yamuna Flood was a test of our commitment, and together with the community, we rose above the waters.