India
Case Study in Emergency - Miraj and a Doctor
Across India, over 12 million people, including over 5 million children, are severely affected by the flooding. Half a million houses have been damaged and around 1 million people have been evacuated from their homes. Over 1,000 are reported to have died...
Flood Relief and Rehabilitation 2006 - 2007 - Following the devastating floods that severely affected 6 states of India in 2006, Save the Children has supported children and their families to return to their normal way of life.
Save the Children has been working on Emergency Response in India since the flood, famine of 1943 and is committed to responding to emergencies in India as a priority.
During most emergency interventions, the specific needs of children are usually overlooked, worsening their suffering.
What ever the cause of devastation, families often lose their homes and property. Children then lack adequate clothing and shelter, leaving them exposed to the elements. A lack of clean drinking water leaves them vulnerable to water-borne diseases, which can sometimes be deadly. Children, especially the youngest, also have special feeding needs which emergency food relief often doesn’t cater for.
Save the Children plays a vital role in reaching emergency aid to marginalised and vulnerable children. Supplementing the government response which at times is unable to reach them.
Missing education
School buildings are often lost or rendered unusable, along with a loss of schoolbooks, pens, pencils and slates. In such calamitous circumstances it is vital for children to regain a sense of normality which will help them recover from the trauma - and it is important that some form of schooling resumes as early as possible.
Save the Children is able to restore some normality to the lives of children by ensuring their education does not take a break.
Prevention is better than cure
We give Emergency Preparedness an equal importance to responding to the rapid onset of disasters.
In all emergencies, the focus remains on protecting the rights of children and their families. Save the Children is engaged with state and national level NGOs, INGOs and donor community for networking, experience sharing and joint assessments and responses. It is a member of local interagency coordination committees such as the Sphere Project – India
Disaster Risk Reduction
Save the Children and its local partners place great importance on advocating with the government to strengthen and improve District and community level disaster preparedness mechanisms.
Save the Children has introduced a new training tool on child led disaster risk reduction. Our Tsunami areas have trained children in their project areas on this. Children are very attentive and interested participants to this workshop.
In the recent flood response (2007) Save the Children has worked in Orissa, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar with community groups and volunteers, including village leaders, teachers, health workers and children, providing training on village-level preparedness and response plans so that they are better able to respond to future disasters.
Recent Emergency Responses:
Floods – The monsoon season regularly brings flooding but 2007 saw some of the worst flash floods in recent times, with the northern and eastern states being particularly hard hit. Save the children responded to the floods in all the four affected states i.e. West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam and West Bengal. We have managed to reach over 41,000 children with relief interventions to date.
South Asia Earthquake - Districts of Uri, Rohama, Kupwara and Tanghdar, Rafiabad, Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir which were severely damaged by the earthquake on 8th October 2005. Many people died, scores of people were displaced from their homes and families and thousands of livelihoods were destroyed. Save the Children has been working in Jammu and Kashmir for 30 years and was well placed to respond to the earthquake. We reached out to approximately 35,000 children, young people and their families.
Drought – Drought in India is not recognised as a disaster yet the annual drought in Rajasthan means thousands struggle to access clean, safe drinking water, maintain health and hygiene, Save the Children worked in 40 villages in 4 districts of Rajasthan on a drought preparedness programme, reaching 20,000 children.
Tsunami - Save the Children is in the third year of a comprehensive 5-year plan for children affected by the earthquake and tsunami that struck on 26 December 2004.