Food Disaster and Vulnerability of Women: A Study of Kosi Flood, Bihar, India

Natural hazards have broad impact on whole community equally, but women folk due to gender inequality and gender differences are more vulnerable and hit harder than men. Present paper attempts to understand women’s vulnerability and their coping mechanism by taking a case of 2008 Kosi flood hit Kursela block of Katihar, Bihar. Data was collected from 115 flood-affected women in 2010 using both Qualitative and quantitative techniques. The flood has completely shattered their lives and livelihood. Women face several problems like family displacement, unavailability of food and drinking water, lack of privacy and sanitation, no communication and above all vulnerability to spread of communicable diseases. The problem aggravated for the pregnant women or who lose their near and dear ones. The cycle between flood, poverty and poor relief works put women at the margin and on many occasions they are found in a state of emotional vacuum and mental trauma.