Oxfam India for warm shelters in Leh

Nksagar Sagar Media -New Delhi /Leh :
Oxfam India for warm shelters in Leh on priotity basis along with clean water,food and warm clothes.Oxfam India has expressed the hope that the process of building shelters for the flood affected people in Leh and surrounding villages would be completed as per schedule and the survivors would be able to lead decent lives during winters when the temperatures will come down to freezing degrees

Leh flash floods on 5 th August 2010 has affected more than 15,000 people. The Death toll in this natural catastrophe is nearly 150 with more than 600 missing is the sudden disasters in J&K. Gushing flood waters inundated nine villages and large tracts of land and army began its rescue operations with various relief work.

Important of all now
is to respond quickly to the needs of the survivors as wild freezing winter may be upto minus 25 C degree will set in within 45 days thus the lives of more than 15,000 men, women and children will be of shelter is emerging most priority .

."It has been two weeks since we took shelter in the camp, but the trauma is still alive. My children wake up at nights calling for help and hug me tight." says Tsewang Lhamo, a health worker from the Old town of Leh.

Himank Relief Camp, the biggest camp set up by the army in Leh after the flash floods is full of grim stories, which gets worse as we move from one tent to another. The devastation left by the Leh flash floods is still evident in the eyes of many men, women and children affected by the flood. The loss is unimaginable and unprecedented - loss of life-long earnings, loss of mother, loss of father, loss of brother, loss of sister and most of all - loss of love.

Oxfam India is reaching out to 9 villages in and around Leh town and trying to get safe drinking water, proper sanitation and winterized shelters for 2000 households.
"It is the natural responsibility of the government to build, safe, warm shelters for the affected families. We hope this process will be completed allaying all apprehensions of the people that they might have to face untold suffering during winter," actor and ambassador for Oxfam, Rahul Bose said after visiting the flood affected areas in the town of Leh and surrounding villages with the CEO of Oxfam India, Nisha Agrawal.

"Oxfam India will keep track of the Government’s efforts to provide shelter to the affected people as time is running out with the approaching winter," Rahul Bose said, adding there was a bigger role for NGOs like Oxfam India to advocate for a decent life for the flood-affected.

As of now, Oxfam India has been providing water and sanitation facilities to the flood affected people in Leh. The program activities include a shelter package for winter to 1000 worst affected households and safe water provision to 2000 households who have been directly and indirectly affected by the disaster. As part of the relief operations, bathing cubicles and latrines have been constructed in the Solar Colony relief camp.

In addition, shelter and hygiene kits which meet minimum standards of humanitarian response as per the Sphere regulations is also being distributed to the affected households in nine villages. A typical hygiene kit comprises two buckets, one mug, 120 aqua tabs, 10 ORS packets, 400 gm bathing soap, 800 gm washing soap and sanitary napkins. As for the shelter kit, it comprises expanded polythene foams, one tarpaulin sheet, two thick sheets and one ground sheet, one pressure cooker, twin burner LPG stove and two blankets

Adding to Rahul’s concerns after the field visit, Nisha Agrawal, CEO, Oxfam India, said "Shelter is the most urgent need of the people. There is only one month of window to build shelters for the affected and to save lives."

"People are hoping that the many promises made by the Prime Minister and the Government would be fulfilled while at the same time concerned that these promises might not be met within the brief period during which the work needs to be completed. However, the Government has assured us of building all the shelters by October 31 and we hope that this deadline is honored," she added.

Rahul and Nisha informed that they also spoke to Mr. T. Angchuk, Deputy Commissioner, Ladakh district, who assured them that building shelter before winter sets in was a priority for the government as well. The construction, they said, would soon begin once the distribution of the relief money announced by the Prime Minister is completed. They also added that Mr. Angchuk said he would reveal the rehabilitation plan in the near future.

Talking about Oxfam India’s work in the region Nisha said "We Will have to find ways of providing food security and livelihood support such as repair of irrigation canals, replanting of fruit trees, replacement of grain harvesting machines and those assets that were destroyed by the floods."

"In addition, we want to help prepare people of Leh for disasters in the future. We will see what the emerging needs of the people are and respond to them, if required," she added.

The duo visited the flood affected areas in Leh and surrounding villages on Friday. They oversaw Oxfam India’s relief efforts in Taru village and were part of the distribution of relief material for the affected people. They also went to Choglamsar village- one of the villages worst affected by the floods and also to the Solar Colony relief Camp – the biggest relief camp which house more than 200 households -- and interacted with the residents.
Nisha Agrawal CEO Oxfam India on Leh said on digital frame. www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP95M9a__8M

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