But when they returned, the full impact of the strongest storm in 16 years was all too clear. Sidr killed at least 2,837 people, destroyed or damaged more than 1.1 million homes, and hurt nearly one and a half million acres of cropland.
"There are so many people without homes or basic sanitation, and who are now likely to be unable to get food, that Bangladesh is facing its most serious humanitarian disaster in many decades," said Heather Blackwell, head of Oxfam International in Bangladesh.
Oxfam is responding with an initial $8.5 million emergency relief effort that will provide up to 153,000 people with clean water and nutritional support. Additionally, the program will offer 15,000 households the means to construct temporary shelters. And as many as 400 latrines will also be built—with a design that will ensure privacy for women.
"People urgently need drinking water, food, and medical support," said Enamul Hoque, a public health advisor working with Oxfam on the response. "Many areas are completely cut off from receiving supplies and markets have been destroyed. There is a need for markets to start functioning properly."
Assessment teams visiting the devastated region have reported that dead animals and debris have contaminated many of the ponds on which most people depend for their drinking, washing, and cooking water. The potential for the spread of waterborne diseases, including cholera, remains high.
Oxfam and its partners are working with communities to clean up the ponds and dispose of the animal carcasses. And though access remains difficult, Oxfam has also started to transport water to some of the more remote areas. We plan to install up to 100 solar desalination stills—as a pilot project—in some of those remote areas to provide drinking water.
Our response plans also call for the distribution of water treatment materials to 15,000 households that will allow them to improve water quality to a satisfactory level. In addition, we will provide up to 200 temporary shallow-tube wells in areas where seawater has contaminated the surface.
Sidr caused massive damage to crops in the coastal region which will have both an immediate and long-term effect on Bangladesh. Severe floods in the north a few months earlier also hit the agriculture sector hard, and with the price of food now spiking, aid workers are concerned that people will not have enough to eat.
Oxfam plans to provide supplemental rations for up to 30,000 households for three months. The distribution, intended to complement food programs undertaken by other groups, will meet about 35 percent of each household's food needs.
In addition, Oxfam will distribute basic goods to 30,000 households. Many families lost everything—clothes, tools, animals—and have no means for replacing them. Our distribution of household goods includes buckets, jugs, mugs, blankets, saris, kitchen utensils, and soap.
]]>In advance of the cyclone, around 1,000 volunteers from Oxfam's partner organizations in Bangladesh helped evacuate villagers whose homes were in the path of the storm. We now have teams on the ground and are coordinating closely with our partner organizations and the government of Bangladesh to ensure that Oxfam resources are directed to where they are most needed. Our immediate focus will be helping more than 80,000 people in the hard-hit districts of Daerhat, Pirojpur, Barguna and Patuakhali meet their basic needs for food, water, shelter, and sanitation.
]]>"We lost almost everything," he said. The floods arrived at the end of the second maize harvest. Some of the farmers were able to save a little—half, at best. The unlucky ones lost everything.
The question is commonly heard: How long has it been since something like this happened? "It was around ten years, since Hurricane Roxanne. That one flooded everything," says Alelia Ricárdez. "My children built this house a little higher to avoid the same damage happening again."
So this time she was able to help: the families of her five sons took refuge inside her new house. They lost some animals and a big part of the milpa crop, but they saved most of the furniture. "We lifted it and tied it with ropes to the roof," she said. They couldn't save the refrigerator. No time.
But the problem comes now. It's time for the second maize harvest, but the fields are flooded so the farmers can neither harvest this crop nor plant the next. Moreover, there are no seeds. Normally, farmers harvest enough to save seeds for the next season, but in Tabasco this year there aren't any.
"Right here there are fish and prawns instead." Emigrafio Domínguez from Ejido de Potreritos points at his maize field while he speaks. His farm is 300 meters away from the river, but the water arrived and covered everything. He still tries to salvage something: "I have to pick the oranges now, because the tree is dead."
To save some of the corn, he wades through water up to his knees. He gathers four or five ears and takes them to dry land. Though he managed to save his turkey, he lost his hens and watched his ducks go with the water. "The next season will be really hard."
In Ejido de Potreritos, the worries center around the crops - not knowing what will happen next season if the farmers cannot plant in November. "With a hectare and a half of maize, I had enough for the year," says Francisco Dominguez. "Not this time."
]]>But this year, when these rivers spilled their banks, the consequences were severe. A team of local officials who visited 10 districts in the Gambella region in the end of September reported that the floods had displaced 135,721 people. The flooding killed two people and left 970 heads of livestock dead. High water still surrounded more than 19,000 people at the time of the assessment. Some districts were accessible only by boat.
Now, many people are in need of help. Food, shelter, and blankets are top on the list.
Together with its local partner, Envision Beyond Basic Needs Association, or EBBA, Oxfam America has launched a $39,000 emergency relief project to help about 8,500 people, almost half of whom are women. Plans called for the distribution of blankets for warmth and plastic sheets for shelter to 1,693 families in five localities.
"We are prepared to do more if the request comes through," said Dawit Beyene, Oxfam America's deputy director of humanitarian response. "The flooding continues and subsequent information we got revealed much more damage than we initially received." Five health posts, 20 schools, two farmer training centers, and nine clinics were also damaged by the floods.
Most of the people in Gambella, which is a low-lying region along the border with Sudan, make their living by fishing from the rivers, working small farms, or herding animals. Despite the regular flooding, villagers settle on the banks of region's rivers to pursue their livelihoods. Now, Oxfam is exploring more permanent ways of helping people cope with the challenges of their environment.
"We're discussing targeting Gambella for more preparedness work—such as establishing a permanent warehouse for emergency supplies as well as helping to increase the capacity of the local organizations with which we work in the region," said Beyene.
]]>"We get water from this ditch, which is a very dirty and murky channel, where garbage is dumped and even dead animals have been found," says Huarcaya, who lives in the town of Huaya Chica. But now, with the help of Oxfam, many families in Huarcaya's town have clean water to drink—thanks to the distribution of water filters and the training in how to use them. So far, the organization has provided 870 water filters in the districts of Humay and Independencia. The goal is to improve significantly the quality of the local drinking water, which often comes from unsafe sources.
Not only did the quake obstruct canals and collapse water treatment and distribution facilities, it also revealed how poor the water quality was in some areas of the countryside. Before the quake, many families had to buy water from tanker trucks or draw it from wells and irrigation ditches. In all these cases the water was unhealthy. The earthquake worsened this situation by increasing the risk of disease.
With the filters Oxfam has been distributing, people are able to remove impurities and sediments. Water that was initially murky, contaminated, and unfit for human consumption becomes clean and free from harmful micro-organisms.
"We get home tired after doing agricultural work (cotton cultivation) and now we have clean water without having to boil it first," observes Delia Mendoza Suárez, a 50-year-old mother of seven children in the village of Palto. Paltoand six other villages now have clean water for drinking and cooking.
Oxfam has been distributing water from tanker trucks in districts where the population does not have sources from which to draw water. The agency is working in coordination with other institutions, such as United Firemen Without Borders (Spain), Pompiers Sans Frontières (France), and Action Against Hunger (Spain). Oxfam has successfully put into service three water treatment plants and has installed 45 water distribution points, including tanks (of 600 and 1,100 liters) and water storage bladders (of 1,500, 3,500, and 6,000 liters), making available an average of 20 liters of water per person per day in each village within the districts of Humay and Independencia.
"Children and adults get stomach illnesses because the water is not clean. After the earthquake, the situation had worsened since there was no water. Now we have it again but it continues to be dirty," said Amalia Valdiviezo Meza, whose family now drinks filtered water.
To help address the ongoing problems, Oxfam is also coordinating a public health campaign through the local press. It's helping to spread information on the proper use of water, latrines, and hygiene to avoid the spread of disease.
"A month after the earthquake, the health risks keep increasing and we must not lower our guard. On the contrary, we will double our efforts to promote hygiene and good health," says Mónica Ramos, Oxfam's public health promoter in Pisco.
As part of that effort, Oxfam has distributed 1,650 hygiene kits, which include soap, shampoo, brushes, and towels, among other items. To achieve a more complete response, latrines and accompanying sinks for washing are also being installed.
Helping Oxfam to achieve its goals have been members of "Jovos," or Young Volunteers for Disaster Prevention, who came from Moquegua, in southern Peru. Assistance has also come from members of the "Grufides" group who have been helping with the installation of tents and temporary shelters as well as with the promotion of public health through talks on hygiene and the proper use and maintenance of water filters.
Maribel Sanchez is the communications officer for Oxfam International in Pisco, Peru.
]]>When Colombo University's Community Extension Center in Sri Lanka uncovered mistreatment of tsunami survivors, the researchers went straight to the country's Human Rights Commission to right the wrongs.
Anawim Trust researchers studying good practices among Indian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in empowering women didn't settle for documenting what they saw: soon the NGOs were implementing new, more women-friendly policies in their organizations that reflected what they'd learned from the Trust.
And long before the Institute for Policy Studies had published its study on Sri Lanka's disaster management systems, researchers had already helped reshape the key national disaster agency.
This is research at its liveliest, where the findings get results before the ink is dry.
"The studies we're supporting aren't destined for a dusty shelf somewhere, and they're not carried out by academics from faraway places," says Russell Miles, an Oxfam humanitarian specialist. "We're partnering with local researchers who are dedicated to solving problems in their own countries."
The Oxfam program involves a process known as participatory action research. The "action" part of the name has to do with its purpose: getting immediate results, rather than studying issues simply for the sake of learning. And it's participatory in that focus groups and other interactive activities in the communities take precedence over Internet searches and leafing through books at the library.
"Reducing disaster risks is a complex process that requires continuous learning," says Miles. "We've found a way to ensure that community members are at the center of that learning process."
]]>The temblor destroyed every house in Basant Kot. Not one has yet to be completely rebuilt and habitable.
Two winters have come and gone since the October 2005 earthquake left more than 3 million people homeless in northern Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. And while reconstruction is well underway in places such as Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, rural areas lag far behind with many people still living in tents or the most basic of shelters. And now, they face a third frigid season high in the mountains exposed to the elements.
"One man asked me what will become of us going into another winter if the snow is heavy," said Kenny Rae, Oxfam America's humanitarian response specialist, who recently returned from a field visit to the region. "Reconstruction is happening, but much more slowly than originally expected."
Part of the reason, he said, was the government's delay in coming out with workable guidelines for earthquake-resistant housing construction as well as delays in compensation payments to families that would allow them to rebuild. The initial guidelines called for homes to be rebuilt using reinforced concrete and masonry blocks—materials that were neither familiar to many people in the mountainous regions nor easy to obtain. And because the villages are so remote, shipping the materials in added substantially to their cost.
"More recently, the government modified its guidelines to allow timber frame houses to be built, which affords homeowners some flexibility," said Rae. "But many people had already started building using cinderblocks."
Each stage of construction—the foundation, the lower walls, the upper walls, the roof—requires inspection and approval. Coupled with that, the government compensation for each phase can take up to three months to arrive and covers less than half the cost of the work. Poverty has prevented many people from being able to rebuild at a faster pace.
"People continue to live in temporary shelters made from recycled wood and materials from their damaged houses, corrugated iron sheeting, and plastic tarps," said Rae. "Because of this, Oxfam has identified clear needs going into the winter and will support people that need help with fuel, blankets, and materials to weatherproof their shelters
The bright news in all of this is the partner Oxfam is working with in the region: the National Rural Support Program, or NRSP. Rae returned from his field visit deeply impressed by what this local organization has been able to accomplish for people living in this rugged terrain.
"This is a very difficult place to work," said Rae. "The staff is subject to frequent landslides as they travel around, particularly after it rains. And although this is the first time NRSP has worked in this district, they've made remarkable improvements in people's lives."
Oxfam has given the organization $1.3 million to fund its work over the course of two years. Projects that have improved access to the rural villages and that have helped people to earn a living are at the center of NRSP's efforts.
For instance, around Basant Kot, NRSP has hired villagers to widen paths linking the hamlets and making them suitable for vehicles, or "Jeepable." The income has helped tide villagers over through the hard times and infrastructure improvements have brought them additional benefits.
"A track previously only passable by foot or donkey can now handle a four-wheel vehicle," said Rae. "In addition to easing access of construction materials, people can now get out and get medical care more quickly in case of an emergency."
NRSP has also been helping families restock some of the animals they lost when they were crushed beneath the stone sheds in which they were housed. So far, NSRP has distributed more than 3,000 goats to villagers in the rural areas.
"NSRP has set up women's community organizations that identify the poorest women, who are usually widows," said Rae. "Each gets five goats—four females and a male. Typically, the small herd produces four liters of milk a day, which families can consume or sell."
"The people who live here are resilient and self-reliant," said Rae. "Life will eventually get back to normal for these mountain dwellers. The role for Oxfam and its partners such as NRSP is to provide a level of support to ensure that the challenges they face in rebuilding are not insurmountable."
]]>For hundreds of people who lost their limbs as a result of injuries suffered in the devastating 2005 earthquake, the future looked grim—until one of Oxfam's partners, the National Rural Support Program, or NRSP, set up shop in a giant tent on the outskirts of Islamabad and offered amputees something almost as precious as life: artificial limbs.
"In a poor country, the loss of a leg can mean the difference between being able to make a living and being a beggar," said Kenny Rae, Oxfam America's humanitarian response specialist who recently returned from a field visit to Pakistan. "The workshop was an inspiring thing to see."
For two weeks in August, technicians worked amid the roar of generators and the buzz of saws to outfit nearly 300 people with new legs. Others received leg supports, known as calipers, some got crutches, and a few got new hands. All told 403 patients, about 20 percent of whom were women, received free prosthetic treatment during the workshop. Amputees made their way to the tent courtesy of NRSP, which had ferried people over the rugged terrain from villages as far as 100 miles away.
The star of the initiative was the Jaipur foot, a world-renowned type of artificial limb developed in India that can be made for a fraction of the cost of western prosthetics ($30 per limb versus $2,000). It uses locally available materials, and allows people to live the kind of life they always have—squatting with ease and sitting cross-legged.
"The limbs were made totally on site, starting off with commercially available plastic pipes," said Rae. "The body of the leg is plastic and the joint is metal and rubber. They're very robust. One of the great things about these limbs is that people who get them can walk on steep and uneven surfaces easily."
To prove just how sturdy the devices can be, and how nimble their owners become, Sudam Ray, an amputee, and one of the 18 Indian technicians running the workshop, climbed up on a table—and leapt. He landed without a hitch, and with a hint of a smile, smack in front of Rae's video camera.
The World Health Organization has estimated that more than 700 people lost their limbs as a consequence of the earthquake. Slightly more than half of them were women. Without mobility in this poor and mountainous region, amputees are looked upon as burdens to their families.
"One man told me his new Jaipur foot would change his life," said Rae. "He said now he will be able to work again and provide for his family."
It's that kind of outcome that Oxfam and NRSP would like to see repeated many times over across the earthquake-ravaged region and beyond—toward the borders of Pakistan where landmines have ruined many lives. To that end, Oxfam has given NRSP a $25,000 grant toward the establishment of a permanent prosthetic center. Oxfam's contribution will fund training for seven new technicians who will travel to Jaipur, India, for a three-month course on limb construction. On their return, they'll train others in Pakistan. The funds will also assist the center in buying a multi-purpose ambulance.
"We're taking this world-renowned Indian technology and using it to benefit Pakistanis," said Rae. "It's so encouraging to see this wonderful collaboration between people of two countries which historically have been at odds with each other."
]]>Oxfam has spent $220 million, 95 percent of the $232 million it has received to date, on its tsunami aid work. Over a third of the money has been spent helping people earn a living again; a fifth on public health, water, and sanitation; and almost 16 percent on housing.
Almost 40 percent of the money has been spent in Indonesia, the country hit hardest by the tsunami. A third was spent in Sri Lanka and over a fifth (22%) in India. The rest of the money was spent in Somalia, the Maldives, Burma, and Thailand.
Ray Offenheiser, Director of Oxfam America, said: "Great strides have been made over the last two years -- lives were saved, hundreds of thousands of tsunami survivors now have access to safe water and sanitation and can once again earn a living. But there is still much work to be done and no one can be satisfied until all those affected are back on their feet, earning a living and living in decent homes."
One of the major challenges to rebuilding homes in Indonesia has been reestablishing land ownership and rights, while in Sri Lanka the escalating conflict has severely hampered the reconstruction efforts in the north and east of the country.
More than 230,000 people were killed by the tsunami, nearly two million people were forced from their homes, and millions saw their livelihoods wiped out.
><p>
]]>
In a new report, “The Tsunami Two Years On: Land Rights in Aceh,” Oxfam urged the Indonesian government to find a fair and just way of re-housing the landless.
The rebuilding of Aceh is the largest reconstruction project in the developing world. While much has been accomplished to date, land rights issues are proving to be a major obstacle.
Many of those without title to land, such as renters and squatters, are languishing in government barracks, where living conditions are cramped and often unhygienic.
“Aceh has made enormous strides toward recovering from the tsunami,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “But two years after the tsunami struck, the poorest Acehnese – squatters, renters, and women – are still facing a crisis over when and where they will be resettled.”
“The lack of a clear policy for landless people has led to a huge amount of uncertainty and delay. There’s a risk these people will end up in the slums of the future, despite the generous donations given after the tsunami.”
Aceh, the northernmost province of Sumatra, was the region worst affected by the tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004. More than 167,000 people died there in the disaster, 600,000 were made homeless, and 141,000 houses were destroyed. So far, more than a third of the houses needed have been built.
Oxfam’s new report highlights some of the difficulties that must be tackled:
><p>
“Rebuilding homes without knowing who owns the land could create problems in the future,” said Offenheiser. “But establishing titles can be a desperately difficult and slow process. Oxfam has been working with many villages in Aceh to help people decide how to reallocate land so everyone has a place to live.”
Around 10,000 families living on property they owned before the tsunami now need resettling because their land was ruined or submerged. The Indonesian government has bought 700 hectares of land for them but progress is slow: only 700 of the planned houses have been built and occupied.
Oxfam is advocating for the Indonesian government to adopt and effectively implement a range of new policies that would offer more protection for renters, squatters, and other landless groups.
The agency is calling for:
><p>
Early reports from the disaster zone indicate that more than 800,000 people have been affected, 28,000 homes have been destroyed, and 21,000 people have moved to evacuation centers. Six hundred people are believed to be dead or missing, mainly due to mudslides.
Oxfam will be focusing its initial aid efforts on providing clean drinking water, safe sanitation, and public hygiene to reduce the risk of waterborne disease among those who have been displaced from their homes.
]]>Much has been achieved in the aftermath of the earthquake and a second humanitarian crisis amid sub-zero temperatures was averted last winter, according to the agency. However, the scale of the catastrophe, difficult mountainous terrain, poor infrastructure, extreme weather conditions, problems with disseminating public information, as well as gaps in support for some vulnerable groups, have hindered the pace of reconstruction. As a result, many are still at risk with snow already falling in one of the highest regions in the world
“With snow already falling, this winter seems to have arrived early. Besides materials that will strengthen their homes against the harsh conditions, people in temporary shelter in rural and mountain areas need sustained access to safe heating and other essential items,” says Farhana Faruqi Stocker from Oxfam International.
According to the Pakistan authorities, only 17 percent of the 450,000 affected households have begun building permanent homes. Oxfam estimates at least 80 percent of the remaining families, equivalent to 1.8 million people, are still living in temporary shelters with the rest staying with friends and relatives. More than 40,000 people are known to be in tents in official camps. Thousands of others are believed to be in unofficial camps and tents close to their home villages.
A recent Oxfam survey of 17 earthquake-hit villages found that virtually all those who were living in tents lacked adequate protection against winter weather. Oxfam believes up to 60,000 people could be forced to move from their mountain villages because of harsh winter conditions and would need accommodation in camps. Thousands of others in remote rural areas also remain at risk because routes to access vital supplies of food, fuel and medicine are often blocked by winter snow and landslides.
Pakistani authorities have belatedly taken some positive steps. Local officials plan to upgrade camp facilities to deal with a likely influx. The government has also very recently decided to allow international aid agencies to distribute materials such as corrugated iron sheets to help rural dwellers winterize their shelters.
The Pakistani government’s reconstruction strategy makes homeowners responsible for rebuilding their homes. The government is helping families by providing financial support plus technical guidelines and training on earthquake resistant construction. More than 30,000 builders have been trained and money has been distributed to more than 370,000 families to help them begin rebuilding. Aid agencies were recently allowed to build homes for the most vulnerable groups such as widows and the disabled.
However, owing to difficulties in disseminating the building guidelines, problems linked to cost, availability and transport of materials, as well as a host of administrative problems, reconstruction has been slow and problematic.
“When we see that one year after Hurricane Katrina, the world’s richest nation – the US – is still struggling with the reconstruction of the areas affected, it is no surprise that Pakistan has faced difficulties in the recovery across a much more difficult terrain,” says Stocker.
Worryingly, almost a third of those who have begun rebuilding have not complied with official guidelines – sometimes unwittingly. Besides leaving themselves vulnerable to future earthquakes, such people may also become ineligible for financial support. The challenge of delivering information on earthquake-resistant construction has now been passed to the UN.
“People need to be clearly informed about financial and technical support they’re entitled to and the guidance on building earthquake resistant homes must be easily available and understandable.
“Better information is also needed to monitor and analyse what is happening to women. They face particular challenges to access their entitlements. For example, many women are dealing with institutions such as banks and government offices for the first time,” says Stocker.
Oxfam is also concerned that there is still no government support for rural survivors who lost their land during the earthquake to rebuild their lives.
In the six months after the earthquake, Oxfam provided water and sanitation facilities for approximately 580,000 men, women, and children. It distributed winterised tents and transitional shelter kits to 370,000 people and helped nearly 60,000 people rebuild their livelihoods.
Oxfam is now repairing and building water and sanitation systems for around 220,000 people, including in 130 hard-to-reach mountainous areas and village schools. Oxfam is also providing water and sanitation assistance to around 10,000 people still living in camps. Oxfam is helping over 90,000 people to rebuild their livelihoods through cash for work, providing agricultural support, and helping village traders re-establish their businesses.
]]>The agencies—CARE, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam International, and World Vision—joined together to express alarm at the rising violence and deteriorating humanitarian access since the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement on May 5. They warned the increasing insecurity is crippling their ability to reach people in need, with potentially disastrous consequences.
Besides the eight deaths, July saw many other aid workers attacked and intimidated, and there were more than 20 incidents of humanitarian vehicles being hijacked or stolen.
“The targeting of humanitarian workers is completely unacceptable,” said Paul Smith-Lomas, the regional director for Oxfam, one of several organizations to have a staff member killed in recent weeks. “Since the signing of the agreement, Darfur has become increasingly tense and violent, which has led to the tragic deaths of far too many civilians and aid workers. A full and comprehensive ceasefire must be implemented immediately.”
Tensions within many of the camps for the region’s two million displaced people have risen steadily due to opposition to the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). Violence is increasingly quick to break out, putting at risk aid workers who are delivering vital services. Meanwhile, the under-resourced and poorly supported African Union police and troops who are supposed to be providing security appear to have reduced the scope of their efforts to protect civilians since the DPA’s signing.
The four aid agencies called upon those responsible for protecting civilians and creating a secure environment for humanitarian workers, particularly the African Union, to prioritize having a presence around the clock and regular patrols in areas around the camps.
The humanitarian response in Darfur is the largest in the world and has managed to stabilize the horrific health and nutritional conditions that were seen in the early stages of the conflict. However, the agencies warned this response is now under threat. Some areas of Darfur are seeing levels of malnutrition once again on the rise and outbreaks of acute diarrhea in the vast camps.
“The danger is clear. If we cannot access the people who need assistance then the humanitarian situation is going to rapidly deteriorate,” said Kurt Tjossem, a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee. “ As usual in Darfur, civilians are the ones to suffer, from being attacked, displaced, and also from being denied access to the assistance that they urgently need.”
In the last month, more than 25,000 people have fled their homes in North Darfur in the face of fighting and attacks on their villages. Three and a half million people throughout Darfur are dependent on humanitarian aid, yet vast areas such as the Jebel Marra mountains and virtually the entire northwestern region are almost completely inaccessible to aid agencies due to the violence and insecurity. Recent fighting has forced many agencies operating in and around Kutum in North Darfur to temporarily suspend their programs.
The agencies called on all parties engaged in the conflict—those who have signed the DPA and those who have not—to immediately adhere to the ceasefire and allow humanitarian operations unhindered access to the people in need. They urged the international community to do more to pressure all sides to end the ongoing violence.
]]>Three months to the day after Cyclone Sidr killed 4,000 people and destroyed millions of homes, Oxfam is concerned that despite an energetic initial response the current recovery efforts are not meeting the massive needs of cyclone-affected communities.
Hundreds of thousands of families are living under plastic sheeting, tarpaulins and other basic shelters which leave them at the mercy of the elements.
The cyclone also destroyed crops, livestock and fishing gear. Many communities lost both their incomes and their assets, and a quick and effective recovery depends on restoring people’s livelihoods quickly.
Oxfam has spent approximately $7 million supporting 193,000 people in five of the worst-affected coastal districts. It is providing 'emergency shelter kits' of iron sheeting and building accessories to nearly 10,000 households as a temporary measure until more permanent shelter is provided, as well as working on livelihoods projects.
Heather Blackwell, Head of Oxfam in Bangladesh, said: “Bangladesh's early warning and preparation saved up to 100,000 lives. The number of people killed, although high, was not as large as in previous similar disasters. This is a tribute to the disaster preparation work done before the cyclone.
“But now more than 1.3m people are facing terrible monsoon weather with completely inadequate shelter. Having suffered from the elements once, they could soon suffer again. It is vital that the Bangladeshi government and the international community—including the UN—urgently devise a better plan for giving these people proper shelter.
“At the same time they must help those people affected by the cyclone to start working again. People need more than just food aid—they need to start farming and fishing again if they are to recover from the havoc wreaked by Cyclone Sidr.”
Oxfam would like to see the Government of Bangladesh, the international community and civil society work together more closely to reduce the vulnerability of those living in disaster-prone areas and tackle the problem of climate change that threatens more and bigger disasters.
Rich countries must implement the commitments made at the 2007 UN Conference on Climate Change and start delivering on pledges to set up a fund that will help developing countries adapt to the burgeoning cost of climate change.
]]>Oxfam says the government has coordinated well with the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) in helping to evacuate more than 10,000 families in the central provinces of Tete, Sofala and Zambezia.
Around 72,000 people have so far been affected by the floods. At least 22,000 houses were submerged and an estimated 92,145 acres of crop land are affected by the floods. By far the worst affected area is Mutarara district in Tete province, where the INGC says that some 29,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
“The INGC’s search and rescue operations have been successful thus far,” said Michael Tizora, humanitarian coordinator of Oxfam International in Mozambique. “Most affected people have now been moved to resettlement sites. But with further rains forecasted throughout February many more people could still be at risk.”
For the second time in less than a year, tens of thousands of people have seen their crops destroyed. Oxfam is concerned about the long-term fate of these poor farmers.
“Donors need to be generous in the long-term, as well as with initial funding for the emergency response. People were only just beginning to re-build the little they had after the 2007 floods. They now have to start again,” Tizora said.
The flooding so far experienced in the Zambezi valley has exceeded last year's levels and some people fear it may well be worse than the 2000 and 2001 floods. However on Monday (Jan 14) the Cahora Bassa dam reduced its discharge from 6,600 to 5,500 cubic meters a second.
Oxfam is working in collaboration with the INGC and other local actors. Oxfam’s priority is to ensure that affected men and especially women and children have access to clean water and sanitation facilities in resettlement areas to avoid the risk of the spread of diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Oxfam is currently gearing up to assist in the districts of Mutatara, Marromeu, Machanga, Govuro, and Tambara.
As part of its post-emergency program, Oxfam International is working in the resettlements centers from populations affected by 2007’s floods in Marromeu district to supply of safe water, adequate sanitation and public hygiene promotion. Oxfam is attending about 7,000 people in Chupanga, Amambos and Chiburiburi resettlement centers. Since early January 2008 another 2,500 people have sought shelter in these camps in face of the new floods.
The heavy rains and increased river levels have come earlier than usual. With several weeks of the traditional rainy season still to come, and more rain forecast for the Zambezi valley there is a risk of increased flooding. Oxfam is monitoring the situation and if flooding escalates is committed to respond. Rains have also displaced families in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
]]>