In the wake of Cyclone Amphan, which devastated the state of West Bengal leaving hundreds of people and families homeless, Habitat for Humanity India is providing transitional shelters, drinking water and other services for more than 120 families in South 24 Parganas district with support from Wells Fargo.
“Cyclone Amphan has been unprecedented in scale and caused widespread devastation in West Bengal causing many families to lose their homes and livelihood in the disaster,” said Rajan Samuel, Managing Director, Habitat for Humanity India. “We are thankful to Wells Fargo for their support and belief in Habitat’s vision of building a world where everyone has a decent place to live.”
Habitat for Humanity’s assistance to the families is supported by Wells Fargo International Solutions Private Limited (Wells Fargo India) and the Wells Fargo Foundation, with a combined donation of approximately INR 5.79 million (US$ 83,970). Habitat’s disaster risk reduction and response program places the families affected by disasters on a path to having permanent disaster resilient shelter solutions.
“Having a safe, healthy and affordable place to call home is essential to help lay the foundation for wellness, dignity and economic opportunity,” said Arindam Banerrji, Managing Director and Head of Wells Fargo India and Philippines. “We are committed to supporting recovery efforts for the people in India and, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity, we can continue to serve our most vulnerable and underserved communities.”
Since 2014, Wells Fargo has committed over INR 14.5 million (US$ 211,572) to Habitat for Humanity India impacting the lives of 152 families. The partnership has enabled Habitat for Humanity India build 20 disaster resilient homes for families affected by Cyclone Hudhud in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) in 2015 and 4 disaster resilient homes and 8 sanitation units for families affected by Chennai floods (Tamil Nadu) in 2017. A total of 287 employees of Wells Fargo India have also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity India in various activities in helping homeowners build their homes.