EMERGENCY RELIEF WORK FOR JAMMU & KASHMIR FLOOD Material Support by: Jagran Pehel Implemented by: PRAGYA

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1 Background: EMERGENCY RELIEF WORK FOR JAMMU & KASHMIR FLOOD Material Support by: Jagran Pehel Implemented by: PRAGYA Torrential rains have caused massive destruction and severe distress in the state of Jammu and Kashmir with several fatalities and over 19,00,000 people and 2,600 villages affected. Several houses and public amenities, especially in low-lying areas, have been washed away or entirely damaged. More than 2500 major and minor roads were damaged, numerous footbridges washed away and more than 100 motorable bridges damaged, and there was a major communication and power breakdown in the area. Relief operations by the Army, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Management Authority and other agencies rescued over 2,37,000 people who had been left marooned by the floodwaters. An estimated 543,000+ people remain displaced and their lives shattered by the floods. The Emergency response team at PRAGYA has been providing essential relief material to the flood affected people in the state, including warm blankets, mattresses, warm clothing, food and water, medicines and hygiene kits, and specific relief packages for children. PRAGYA has extended its support to 22,921 people so far in Srinagar, Jammu, Pulwama, Kulgam, Budgam, Bandipore, Baramulla and Anantnag districts and has carried out assessments for distribution in Reasi district as well. Emergency relief material is being dispatched from Delhi to Srinagar by air (with support from Indigo Airlines, Jet Airways and SpiceJet), and road and being procured locally as well. PRAGYA staff in Jammu and Srinagar along with local volunteers, Moholla Committees and local grassroots partners are organizing material distribution at different flood-affected villages, schools, relief camps and medical camps. Assistance provided: Thanks to our supporters, we have so far reached to flood affected people in 8 districts of Jammu & Kashmir: 282 packs of baby food 914 nutrition-packs for children kg food grains and spices 521 liters of cooking oil 8287 packs of ready-to-eat food items 162 sets of utensils/emergency lights/heaters/water filter 2148 ltr water and water purifying tablets 9954 items of hygiene kits 2718 warm blankets 285 locally made warm quilts 914 warm wear kits for children 285 locally made woolen mattresses, 500 sub-zero sleeping bags 4158 meters of Pheran fabric (traditional Kashmiri winter clothing) 102 medicine kits and bulk quantities during 6 health camps An estimated 19,00,000 people in 2600 villages and towns, have been affected in the floods, and an estimated 543,000 marooned and displaced people are in extreme distress, particularly the children, women and aged. PRAGYA is continuing to reach out to the most needy and distressed of the floodaffected people.

2 Essential supplies & Hygiene kits: PRAGYA has been reaching out to families in water logged houses and remote villages affected by flood with essential supplies such as food grains (rice, pulses, cooking oil, salt & spices, ready-to-eat food items), hygiene kits, utensils, torches, heaters, water purification tablets and filters. Winter protection supplies: To help protect the floodaffected families against the severe Himalayan winter, PRAGYA is providing them with warm blankets, locallymade woolen mattresses and quilts, warm clothes and Pheran (a traditional Kashmiri winter attire) fabric. Some of these items are locally made hence suited for the Kashmir winter, preferred by the people and it benefits the local economy too. Medical Assistance: Families residing in flood-affected settlements and suffering from various post-flood ailments have received small family packs of OTC drugs from PRAGYA. PRAGYA-supported medical camps in waterlogged areas, conducted in collaboration with the Voices from the field This was really a peaceful distribution the way you people distributed here at Hasanpora Tawela. I am really thankful to the organization that they reached to us initially when we were still in trauma and now for the second time with the necessity items. The area was worst hit and we are left homeless and unemployed. - Aijaz Ahmad Ganie (Hasanpora Tawela) Directorate of Health, Srinagar and other non-profits, have delivered essential and timely healthcare to thousands of flood-affected people through the provision of medicines. Assistance for children: Families have received essential relief material from PRAGYA that has enabled them to meet the requirements of upwards of 1000 children. This has included baby food to meet their essential nutritional requirements, and specially designed children s kits with hygiene supplies, warm clothing, activity kits, energy drinks and confectionaries.

3 Support by Jagran Pehel: The material support from Jagran Pehel has contributed in our efforts to reach some of the worst flood affected families in J&K. The distribution was completed in the month of January, and enabled us to reach the flood-affected households in Gulshanabad Hyderpora, Srinagar and Hasanpora Tawela village of Anantnag district. These are amongst the worst hit areas and have sustained considerable damage to land and property. The distribution focused on providing relief materials to help protect the flood-affected families. The provision of relief materials was aimed at house-holds that lost all their belongings in the floods and families whose homes were completely destroyed in the floods. Hasanpora Tawela village in Bijbehara block of Anantnag District lies next to a tributary of Jhelum river. Almost all the 375 houses in the village were submerged in water during the floods and nearly 200 houses are completely damaged. Most of the families are under the poverty line and a majority of the men in the village are labourers and farmers. The distribution focused on providing the necessary relief materials to the households in critical need. The relief materials were also distributed to 10 families in Gulshanabad Hyderpora area in Srinagar district. These families lost all their belongings and homes in the floods and are currently living in rented places and mosques.

4 Satellite images showing Hasanpora Tawela (Image source: Google) Our approach: PRAGYA s organized and systematic approach in relief distribution in terms of provision of muchneeded supplies in the worst-affected areas has been greatly appreciated by the beneficiaries. Our process ensures effective need-based relief provision during the distribution. 1. Need assessment: PRAGYA field staff carry out first-hand needs assessment by visiting each of the flood-affected areas. Area-wise detailed information is collected on: a. Amount of damage: Population of an area, population affected by flood, houses completely damaged, houses partially damaged and public infrastructure damaged. b. Needs of affected people: Food needs (essential ration), protection needs (shelter, warmth and clothing), medical needs (OTC drugs, health camps and state of local dispensaries), household needs (utensils and other essential household items), personal hygiene needs (toiletries, sanitary napkins, etc.) and community level needs (garbage disposal, public sanitation facilities, etc.).

5 c. Socio-economic status of affected people, their source of livelihood and damages suffered, their capability to sustain themselves, neglected locations and marginalized groups. d. Damage to education facilities: Schools affected, kind of damage, students affected, current status or intermediate solutions etc. e. Available support: Relief already provided by other government or non- government organizations, community kitchens run by local residents, etc. to avoid duplication of efforts and overstocking. f. Logistics & distribution process: The appropriate route and mode of reaching relief material, identifying suitable spacious location for distribution and discussions with Moholla committees, government functionaries and inter agency coordinators on distribution priorities, specific dates for intervention and processes. This need assessment process involves the target communities, in particular, the village councils (panchayats/mohalla committees). Involving the beneficiaries has multiple advantages. The most important being efficient mobilization, organized delivery Photographs from assessment surveys during the day of distribution and coverage of all affected households in a target location. The assessment data is accompanied with photographs and sent to PRAGYA head office in Gurgaon. Selection of sites, beneficiaries and relief material to be provided is decided based on the needs assessment. The thorough needs assessment helps us map the resources available with the immediate relief needs and community preferences (in terms of quality of material, choice of food items etc) and thereby enhances the adequacy and appropriateness of relief provided, community satisfaction and reduces wastage of resources. It also helps in identifying critical areas for intervention during long-term rehabilitation of these areas. 2. Procurement, packaging and transportation: As per the needs assessment, the relief material was procured in bulk by PRAGYA head office in Gurgaon. The products were procured from renowned wholesalers (Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd, Auchan Hypermarket) and were of established brands to ensure high quality of items and swift procurement. PRAGYA staff then segregates and packs the material into individual family kits. A few domestic airlines very generously offered free transportation of relief materials to Srinagar. However, much of it had to be sent by truck due to limited weight allowances on flights. At times, the relief items are procured locally e.g. winter protections items part of the second phase of distribution. In such cases a detailed list of vendors supplying particular relief items is prepared after thorough exploration. These vendors are assessed based on the quality of the product, capacity to supply bulk quantities, competitive prices, etc. before finalizing on some particular vendor/s for procurement. Procuring locally saves transportation cost; this saved cost can instead be used to reach more flood affected families. 3. Planning, coordination and mobilization: The distribution plan is prepared in discussion with the field team. The community leaders/moholla committees of the target settlements are informed one day prior to the date of distribution. They in turn ensure that representatives from each of the flood-affected families are present during distribution. The PRAGYA team also continually updates the inter-agency coordinators on ongoing efforts and We are satisfied the way you distributed the relief material to the deserving families of the village. This is really great work you people are doing. I thank Pragya & Jagran Pehel on behalf of the entire village for reaching out to this far away village. Thank you very much. - Parwaiz Ahmad Dar, Hasanpora Tawela

6 population targeted and distribution plans to facilitate planning and coordination at the district and state level. 4. Relief distribution: On the day of distribution the PRAGYA team works with community leaders and volunteers to ensure that the relief material reaches the affected families. A coupon system is followed to ensure efficient distribution. Before the relief material arrives, the community leaders and PRAGYA staff issue one coupon to each of the affected families to prevent duplication and ensure coverage of all families in need. One representative from each family then approaches the distribution team with the coupon, which they exchange for a family kit. This community involvement is a key factor in the success of the distribution. Challenges: Transportation of relief material both from Delhi NCR to Srinagar and then from Srinagar to the sites selected was a major hurdle. At the initial phases, the relief material was being transported by flight from Delhi to Srinagar. A few domestic airlines offered free transportation of relief materials to Srinagar. However, the frequency of such offers declined as time progressed and so did the weight allowance during each flight. This was based on the fact that road access was gradually being restored. Sending relief material by road was a long and exasperating process due to several blockages along the way. At times, it took up to a week for the truck to reach Srinagar from Delhi NCR. Transportation of relief material from PRAGYA warehouse in Srinagar to the relief distribution sites also proved to be very difficult due to damaged roads. The material was received at a time when we had started procuring materials locally to minimize logistics cost and thereby extend our outreach. As these materials were received late we had to transport them in a truck to Srinagar. The relief material donated to PRAGYA comprised of varied quantities of food materials, which had to be segregated into different packages. The materials had to be packaged into family kits and some additional materials were procured to ensure uniformity of the kits distributed. Inter-agency coordination between various government and non-government organizations is not adequate at the moment. Hence a lot of time and resources has to be devoted for verifying information through our own sources and conducting assessments. From Relief to Rehabilitation: The way ahead I am a widow and have a very limited source of income. I thank this organization for reaching out to us. - Moogli Gulshanabad Hyderpora From the onset of its relief operations, PRAGYA staff has been involved in carrying out area specific need assessments as well as consultations with key stakeholders for formulation of effective rehabilitation strategies. With the immediate relief provision phase ending in a few weeks, we are now focusing on starting rehabilitation activities. Our focus remains the remote and impoverished communities affected by floods. PRAGYA has already started collaborative efforts towards organizing health camps to prevent outbreak of diseases. Going forward, we would continue to work on Health and Water & Sanitation related interventions in the long term. Any support towards this effort would go a long way in lightening the distress of the flood-affected in Jammu and Kashmir.