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September to December 2008
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Monsoon rains caused the Kosi River to breach its banks on 18th August 2008, resulting in serious floods in six eastern districts of Bihar. The scale of the flooding means waters have taken a number of months to subside, and even now, rebuilding work will need to be done before many families are able to leave the relief camps. Reports indicate that over 2.7 million people were displaced.
| Below are the details of CINI’s contribution to the relief efforts in the district of Sapaul, one of the areas worst affected by the flooding. CINI has been working in partnership with government and an NGO already active in the local area. We have been working in a relief camp providing shelter to people displaced from nearby villages including Bhawanipur, Balbhadrapur and Hridaynagar. The people from these villages were primarily agricultural labourers to whom the flood represents not only a loss of their home, but also a loss of their main source of livelihood. |
Picture from infochange website |
Helping the affected to resettle and rebuild their lives will be a long-term process that calls for education, health and livelihood support and the rebuilding of house and villages.
CINI’s relief work
To date, CINI has been able to help more than 5,000 people. Support has included help with accessing health and education services in the relief camps. It has also involved the provision of items required by families who have lost their homes.
Activities included:
- Distribution of food and cooking pots and utensils. Emergency food packs included rice, gur (a type of sugar), salt, biscuits, bread, tea, baby food and drinking water. Hunger has been one of the key challenges for those affected by the floods, especially among young children.
- Distribution of clothes among the displaced people. Many people’s clothes were washed away in the floodwaters and all they had were the clothes on their back.
- Distribution of mosquito nets and repellent coils as flood-water in low lying areas creates breading grounds for mosquitoes.
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CINI truck brings supplies to the flooded region
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- Distribution of plastic mugs, plates, buckets and soap, as hygiene is also a major issue in preventing the spread of disease.
- Distribution of sleeping mats and bed sheets ensured people had a flat and dry surface to rest on.
Missing person help desk
In addition, a help desk is in operation with the help of local volunteers to help reunite families who have been separated in the rush to escape the floodwaters. This work is being done in close partnership with district officials and other organisations and has been in operation for nearly two months.
Counselling for people traumatised by the flooding
The impact of the devastating flood has left many victims in a state of deep shock and trauma. Help has provided and ways of dealing with the emotional fallout of this devastating event provided.
Helping people access government compensation package
CINI has also worked with displaced people to help them access the benefits of the government compensation package.
Local contributions to the relief effort
CINI has developed a community level partnership to ensure that relief reaches the most affected children and their families in a transparent participatory manner. It is extremely important to empower local community members, many of whom want to help, to play an active role in the relief effort.
Lessons learned
It would be helpful to have a disaster readiness fund to assist CINI in its relief work and prevent delays resulting from a lack of funding.
Acknowledging the support of CINI, Saraswati Devi, who was displaced by the flooding commented:
“We lost many things: relatives, livestock and the hope of life. Today, we find the support given to us by CINI is God’s Gift and we see reason to revive our hopes for the future.”
See here for a printable version of this report (Word document)
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