India 05/05

ACT Appeal ASSA51 (Revision 2) - Emergency Relief to Quake-affected

December 6, 2005

India

Information provided by Church’s Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA)

GENERAL SITUATION

The Oct. 8 earthquake killed approximately 1,500 people in northern India. The UN estimates that about 32,000 homes were destroyed. Electrical supply and telephone lines were also affected. The earthquake also triggered other crises. Landslides blocked the Srinagar-Muzafarabad highway, the dam at Uri was cracked, and TV towers at the Suleiman complex and roads in Srinagar were damaged. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was disrupted as mounds of earth from a hillock fell on the road at Karol near Ramban. Heavy vehicles were stranded on the highway for days.

Initially the Government of India (GoI) was not allowing any NGOs to carry out relief work in the earthquake-affected areas because Jammu and Kashmir are areas with a militant insurgency. NGOs working in the area could have been at risk because of this, and there may also have been the risk of militants taking advantage of this situation by posing as NGO workers. However, with the approaching winter, the late response of the civil administration and others in providing relief necessitated the GoI allowing NGOs to begin work in the area.

CASA's RESPONSE

When the affected areas were opened to NGOs, CASA immediately sent a team to assess the situation and to do response planning and implementation. For its response, CASA has partnered with: NGO Coordination Federation, a network of 25 NGOs in Kashmir; Kashmir Rural Welfare Association, working on rural housing, income generation, handicraft works and women’s empowerment; Hindustani Covenant Church, a member of CASA; Confederation of Voluntary Associations-VAN Kashmir, a voluntary action network of 15 organizations; Al – Basheer, an NGO working in the field of adult education and women’s issues; Army Wives Welfare Association, working with women and children.

The immediate needs of the earthquake survivors were woolen clothing material, kitchen utensils, blankets and shelter materials (tents, tarpaulins and tin sheets). CASA chose 6,575 families for assistance - 2,620 families in Uri sector, 1,055 families in Tangdhar sector and 2,900 families covered by CASA’s partner NGOs/churches. These areas had villages that were damaged or destroyed. Priority was given to the most vulnerable survivors, such as women and children.

Initial relief phase

After detailed discussions with partners, CASA decided to provide blankets, woolen clothing material, tarpaulins and utensil sets to 1,000 families (400 families in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara District and 600 families in Uri sector of Baramulla District). With winter approaching, it was imperative to provide these items to people living in the higher altitudes to minimize casualties due to snowfall and harsh weather conditions.

Second relief phase

CASA distributed tin sheets and bukharis (indigenous coal/wood burning heaters) and additional blankets. It anticipated that transport of materials in the Kupwara district (Tangdhar) would not be possible after November 10 and that locations in Baramulla district (Uri sector) would become inaccessible by November 20. CASA managed to distribute these items before the harsh weather arrived there.

CASA distributed 16 tin sheets each to 1,500 families for the roof and walls of shelters. The size of each family shelter to be constructed will vary from 200 to 400 square feet depending on the amount of salvaged material used. Insulation of these beneficiary-constructed shelters will be done using planks and fieldstone salvaged from the ruined houses. Families that received tin sheets also received 10 blankets and one bukhari each.

Third relief phase

CASA allocated 14,000 blankets and 100 tents to four of its partners. The partners distributed five blankets each to 2,800 families and tents to 100 families. This is how CASA was able to assist an additional 2,900 families through its partners.

SOME ISSUES FACED DURING THE RELIEF OPERATION

The Tangdhar region is about an eight-hour drive from Srinagar and is a remote area with no proper communication or transport facilities. One has to cross Sadhna Top, which is at an altitude of about 14,000 feet above sea level and is highly prone to snowfall and landslides. Once snowfall starts, the army closes the roads to avoid accidents. Initially this region was not accessible to the general public, and a pass was required from the army. However, after the earthquake, movement to this region was allowed so that relief could reach the affected people.

Security threats from militants is also an issue because of the close proximity of some villages of areas covered to the Line of Control (LoC) and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). In Srinagar alone, there were about four incidents of violence, one mine blast, one suicide attack on a minister and others during the relief operation.

There is also the problem of transportation to the Tangdhar area, as few transport companies will agree to go there. It takes 13 to 15 hours for a six-ton truck to reach Tangdhar from Srinagar. In the community, there are sometimes problems with management in distribution, causing people to protest. Some of these protests also affected CASA’s distributions as people stopped traffic in protest, leading to traffic jams. The team also experienced chaos a few times during the distribution as people from nearby villages came and demanded to have their village also covered in the distribution. People were burning tires on the road on many occasions.

Landmine explosions are one of the potential threats in Lavipura (Baramullah district), on the way to Tangdhar. As CASA’s team returned from Tangdhar after the distribution, it was stopped by the army because of this danger.

There are concerns about corruption of government officials who are responsible for relief. One local official in Tangdhar was beaten by survivors because of alleged discrepancies in the distribution of relief materials. Both the army and the local police are having difficulty in controlling the growing unrest.

CONCLUSIONS

In spite of the challenges faced, CASA and its partners completed these relief activities by November 24. The villages selected for assistance were among the most remote and vulnerable. The assistance of the army and the administration was invaluable in the timely and orderly delivery of supplies. It has started snowing in the upper reaches of the affected areas. While winter will be an ordeal for the quake survivors, CASA is confident that its assistance will help families survive the cold weather. CASA is currently planning for an additional response in terms of further relief distributions, livelihood restoration and rehabilitation activities.

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