Habitat for Humanity India (HFHI) has years of experience providing shelter in tandem with disaster response and risk reduction services. The increasing frequency and severity of disasters has stimulated HFHI to strengthen disaster preparedness in the communities they serve. As part of its disaster risk reduction solutions, HFHI is piloting a disaster insurance product to complement and enhance social security measures within its beneficiary communities.
The goal of this comprehensive insurance policy is to provide asset and property coverage against a wide range of natural and manmade perils, as well as covering the insured and their family members against accidental death and permanent disability. The product is delivered in partnership with the Indian insurance carrier HDFC Ergo General Insurance, Ltd. (acting as the service provider) and K. M. Dastur & Company (KMD) as the private Bombay based insurance broker and reinsurer. The pilot aims to enroll 5,000 families in three Indian states (Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). To date, 4,000 applications have been received, 200 applications have been processed, but no claims have yet been made.