Wiped out by fire, a remote village in Uttarakhand requires livelihood restoration #Give4Humanity #BuildBackBetter

UttarKashi needs your support! A village burnt to the ground. Homeless families. Livestock charred to death. No means livelihood left intact. This is a crucial call for action!

Uttarakhand is synonymous with picturesque landscapes. This past February though brought about an unfortunate disaster in the state’s Sawadi Village in district Uttarkashi. Located in a remote corner, 7500 feet above sea level, the village saw a major fire break out in the early morning hours of 16th February that almost wiped out the entire village.

40 houses were reduced to ashes, affecting the lives of 145 people who were turned homeless overnight. To add to this catastrophe, approximately 100 cattle, their primary means of livelihood, perished in the fire.

The closest motor-able road access is in Jakhol, which is about 7 kms from Sawadi. Beyond Jakhol one needs to traverse the steep hilly terrain either by foot or on a mule in order to reach the village. The snowfall during winter oftentimes makes Sawadi inaccessible.

Due to the fire breaking out at such a time families lost everything other than the clothes they were wearing. The cold weather made the children, the pregnant and lactating women and the elderly further vulnerable.
With animal husbandry being the main occupation of this village, the disastrous fire devoured their only source of income too. Surviving without electricity and basic amenities the already distraught villagers have been forced to keep night vigils to protect the vulnerable from wild animals.

The Need of the hour: 
The village residents need funds for Livelihood, Education and Shelter. Charities Aid Foundation- India with its charity partner operating on ground zero has taken up the cause of rehabilitating the villagers by the restoration of livelihood, helping the residents purchase new livestock, access to educational assistance and facilitating the provision of temporary shelters. Affected families are also in urgent need of basic needs like food, clothing, kitchen utensils and other non-food items for survival and restoring of basic normalcy back into their lives.