Reckoning with Aila

RECKONING WITHAILA J U N E - A U G U S T 2 0 0 9

Humanitarian response in the wake of one of the most severe This image of Aila was captured on May 25 2009, by the Nasa Terra Satellite cyclones in decades to hit the Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov Indian Sunderbans Aila Impact of Aila Of the few functional handpumps used for Sunderbans drinking water, most were inundated or choked with debris. Most existing toilets were washed away, and there was serious Cyclone Aila hit the Sunderbans in the Following cyclone Aila, much of the damage pollution from sewage and dead animals. Sunderbans, meaning "beautiful forest" in Indian sub continent near Bay of Bengal on was caused by massive flooding, which The threat of water-borne epidemics was Bengali, is known as the largest single block the afternoon of 25th May 2009, with gale- contaminated drinking water sources with very high, including cholera, which is of tidal mangrove forest on earth, and a force winds up to 120 kmph, and torrential seawater and killed the fish that people rear endemic throughout this area. The supply of world heritage site. What is less known is rain. As it crossed over the coastline of in the freshwater ponds. This affected safe drinking water had reached crisis levels. that Sunderbans is home to over a million South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, people's livelihoods in the long run. people, who live in a vulnerable environ- Aila temporarily strengthened to a Category For several days following the cyclone, ment, with constant threat of rising sea 1 cyclone. As Zubin Zaman, Oxfam India's Program hundreds of thousands of people were levels, seasonal flooding and water scarcity, Manager, pointed out, "The ponds are a homeless, clustered into municipal buildings diseases and loss of livelihood. Aila ripped through 17 districts in West lifeline - they give people water for house- and schools, camped outside on higher Bengal, of which South 24 Parganas was one hold needs, water to irrigate, and fish". ground. Land mass in this delta region is fragmented of the worst affected. Storm surges at the into thousands of hard-to -access islands. coast flooded agricultural areas with saline Most of these are below the sea level, water. High winds and high tide became a ringed by bunds [traditional embank- devastating combination. ments], to keep the salt water away. While this provides precious land for human According to UNDMT and media reports, habitation, most areas have to do without Aila was one of the worst cyclones in electricity, motorable roads, or drinking decades, in which about 6.3 million people water connections. People use diminishing were affected and nearly half a million underground resources to meet some of homes were lost or damaged. their drinking water needs, and harvest rainwater in shallow ponds for all other

Aila Infrared image. Source: nasa.gov purposes.

A journey from Kusumtala village in the Namkhana block of the Sunderbans, to the nearest city Kolkata, requires all of several modes of transport - walking, manual "rickshaw vans", boat, bus and the railways. On a good day it takes over four hours to travel one way. “That day, strong winds were blowing began climbing a nearby tree. Soon after, I saw my “The surroundings were filthy; rainwater from the east. Sensing danger, a few of home collapse with all the belongings inside. I real- puddles were all over the place. Mosqui- us villagers went to examine the nearby ised that the current was too strong and the tree toes bred quickly in the stagnant water

a embankment and the water level. Sea wouldn't hold my weight any longer. I let go. I was and we had a lot of trouble with them. It l i

A surges and cyclones are a part of life in the dazed, scared and confused. Luckily I found a was particularly the children who were not able to e Sundarbans. Four years ago, a similar incident had wooden plank and clung to it for life. I then man- sleep because of the insects.” Rokeja Bibi, Junput n o l taken place, but it was not this severe. aged to wade to higher ground and save myself. Village c y

Aila Infrared image. Source: nasa.gov purposes.

a embankment and the water level. Sea wouldn't hold my weight any longer. I let go. I was and we had a lot of trouble with them. It l i

o The tide was nearly at level with the embankment The next day, I returned to find everything h t and rising fast. Rushing back home, I informed my destroyed; our home, furniture, food stocks and the a wife and children to seek shelter at the market place children's books. I realised that it would take us “Our surroundings were completely P nearly a kilometre away. I stayed back, trying to some time to rebuild what we lost. We waited sev- changed following Aila. The nearby secure our belongings and preparing for any eventu- eral days till the local government provided us with school was a safe place from the wind ality. rice and a tarpaulin sheet. and the rain but the sanitation facilities Within a few hours, I heard villagers shouting that We will have to start all over again. I will need to were not adequate there. During the first the dyke had burst. I saw water rushing towards our rebuild my home, buy new books for my children two weeks the hygiene situation was not good and home - quick and furious. It engulfed our mud hut and continue working to buy food.” Moni Gopal we had reports of diarrhoea breaking out in the Oxfam response sites and kept rising. I was nearly neck deep when I Punti, Indrapur Village nearby villages. ” Gayathri Nanda, Haripur GP 4 Volunteer Training & ORS Booths An overview of the strategic, need-based, multi- Oxfam India Aila Response sectoral relief and recovery measures, covering Selection and training of PH volunteers 10,000 households over 3 months. 75 volunteers were trained in the first “Women were the most affected phase of the work to run ORS (Oral after the cyclone since their hygiene Rehydration Solution) booths, where issues could not be met during the "Returning from the school building several days later, 1 immediate wake. Our hygiene pro- Emergency Shelter for families we managed to put together our home which was com- they would demonstrate preparation of motion activities and particularly pletely destroyed. We put the tar- ORS and then distribute ORS sachets. 10,000 shelter kits distributed to families surrounding hand washing have paulin sheet provided by Oxfam ORS Booths been highly appreciated by the community. Each kit comprised the following: across our re-thatched roof to give There has been a drastic improvement in the way peo- 1 piece Tarpaulin 18' X 12' 170 GSM it additional support against the 91 ORS booths were set up, roughly 6 ple now perceive hygiene in the villages. People have 1 piece Ground sheet 12'X 9' 130 GSM heavy winds and rain during this booths in each of the 15 villages. These become more conscious on the need to prevent the season." Joshna Khatoun and Jaina were operational round the clock, 20 metres of Rope spread of diseases through good hygiene practices.” Bibi, Kusumtala Village enabling community members to access Volunteer Sagarika Das, Haripur GP ORS at any time day or night, for 3 2 months following the cyclone. Vital Non Food Items (NFI) for “Our steel vessels had started getting holes after we used it to carry families saline water...the plastic buckets are 5 now durable and sufficient to store 10,000 NFI kits were distributed to families. Community Awareness water in the home." Anjali Bhuniya, Each NFI kit comprised the following: Awareness campaigns were organized Gobindopur Village 2 Buckets with lid continuously in all the villages throughout 2 Mugs the programme period and were a very "When I moved back to our house 2 Bars washing soap, effective way of getting messages on public the mosquito net was in place and 6 Bars bathing soap health across to the community . we now spend peaceful nights. As a 240 Aquatabs ™ new mother I also found the soaps Community sensitisation meeting 2 Medicated mosquito nets to be very useful in maintaining health and hygiene in the house." 1 Pack of 10 sanitary pads 6 Prathima Dhali, Gobindopur Village Hygiene & Sanitation “Immediately following the disaster Village cleaning the entire area was unclean with 3 Safe Water for Communities Campaigns to clear wreckage, garbage in dead animals, fish and rotting "Getting drinking water was the communities, and clearing of streets plants from the saline water. Oxfam Repairing of tube well most difficult thing and it was a were conducted. and the volunteers were very sup- Minor repairing for above-ground great relief to get the nearby hand portive of our condition and provided us with good Construction of Emergency Toilets training on hygiene.” Asthma Bibi, Kusumtala Village components was done, including pump desalinated. Moreover we changing of washers, handles, plunger were trained on the safe collection 104 community toilets, primarily meant set, body, nuts, bolts etc. 103 hand and storage of water at home for women and children, were con- "The toilets provided have been of which has helped us maintain immense value; the design has pumps were repaired and made func- structed. Each toilet structure, was health and hygiene within our made it safe and easy to access par- tional. designed with two latrine units, and was homes and in the wider commu- expected to serve up to 50 households in ticularly for women. We have now nity”. Mamoni Paik, Durganagar hand-pump repair established a users and mainte- Pond dewatering including pond in progress the area. User committees responsible cleaning and bund repair Village nance group of the latrines and for maintenance of these toilets were intend to continue using them. We Community ponds were identified for also formed during this time. can now also ask the panchayat to provide us with simi- dewatering. MOUs were drawn up with lar toilets." Mukhtarun Bibi, Kusumtala Village the Panchayat and pond owners. "We carried out rigorous house to Altogether 208 ponds were dewatered. "All the water in the region was house hygiene promotion including 7 saline and since the water was Household Monitoring Water testing the preparation of safe drinking used for irrigation purposes, most Volunteers visited door to door to ensure water and hand washing techniques Water testing was routinely done for families suffered crop loss . Oxfam both before and after meals and that Public Health messages were under- salinity, residual chlorine and bacterio- supported in removing the saline water. Pumps were nature calls. I would really think stood and were being practiced. Each of the installed and water drained out to clean the ponds." logical tests. 205 such tests were con- that it is only as a result of our rig- 10,000 households in the project area were Palan Chandra Das, Durganagar Village ducted, and communities were made orous work that not even a single case of diarrhoea was visited multiple times between June and aware of the results of these tests. reported from our village”. Volunteer Gayathri Nanda, August 2009. Haripur GP 4 Volunteer Training & ORS Booths An overview of the strategic, need-based, multi- Oxfam India Aila Response sectoral relief and recovery measures, covering Selection and training of PH volunteers 10,000 households over 3 months. 75 volunteers were trained in the first “Women were the most affected phase of the work to run ORS (Oral after the cyclone since their hygiene Rehydration Solution) booths, where issues could not be met during the "Returning from the school building several days later, 1 immediate wake. Our hygiene pro- Emergency Shelter for families we managed to put together our home which was com- they would demonstrate preparation of motion activities and particularly pletely destroyed. We put the tar- ORS and then distribute ORS sachets. 10,000 shelter kits distributed to families surrounding hand washing have paulin sheet provided by Oxfam ORS Booths been highly appreciated by the community. Each kit comprised the following: across our re-thatched roof to give There has been a drastic improvement in the way peo- 1 piece Tarpaulin 18' X 12' 170 GSM it additional support against the 91 ORS booths were set up, roughly 6 ple now perceive hygiene in the villages. People have 1 piece Ground sheet 12'X 9' 130 GSM heavy winds and rain during this booths in each of the 15 villages. These become more conscious on the need to prevent the season." Joshna Khatoun and Jaina were operational round the clock, 20 metres of Rope spread of diseases through good hygiene practices.” Bibi, Kusumtala Village enabling community members to access Volunteer Sagarika Das, Haripur GP ORS at any time day or night, for 3 2 months following the cyclone. Vital Non Food Items (NFI) for “Our steel vessels had started getting holes after we used it to carry families saline water...the plastic buckets are 5 now durable and sufficient to store 10,000 NFI kits were distributed to families. Community Awareness water in the home." Anjali Bhuniya, Each NFI kit comprised the following: Awareness campaigns were organized Gobindopur Village 2 Buckets with lid continuously in all the villages throughout 2 Mugs the programme period and were a very "When I moved back to our house 2 Bars washing soap, effective way of getting messages on public the mosquito net was in place and 6 Bars bathing soap health across to the community . we now spend peaceful nights. As a 240 Aquatabs ™ new mother I also found the soaps Community sensitisation meeting 2 Medicated mosquito nets to be very useful in maintaining health and hygiene in the house." 1 Pack of 10 sanitary pads 6 Prathima Dhali, Gobindopur Village Hygiene & Sanitation “Immediately following the disaster Village cleaning the entire area was unclean with 3 Safe Water for Communities Campaigns to clear wreckage, garbage in dead animals, fish and rotting "Getting drinking water was the communities, and clearing of streets plants from the saline water. Oxfam Repairing of tube well most difficult thing and it was a were conducted. and the volunteers were very sup- Minor repairing for above-ground great relief to get the nearby hand portive of our condition and provided us with good Construction of Emergency Toilets training on hygiene.” Asthma Bibi, Kusumtala Village components was done, including pump desalinated. Moreover we changing of washers, handles, plunger were trained on the safe collection 104 community toilets, primarily meant set, body, nuts, bolts etc. 103 hand and storage of water at home for women and children, were con- "The toilets provided have been of which has helped us maintain immense value; the design has pumps were repaired and made func- structed. Each toilet structure, was health and hygiene within our made it safe and easy to access par- tional. designed with two latrine units, and was homes and in the wider commu- expected to serve up to 50 households in ticularly for women. We have now nity”. Mamoni Paik, Durganagar hand-pump repair established a users and mainte- Pond dewatering including pond in progress the area. User committees responsible cleaning and bund repair Village nance group of the latrines and for maintenance of these toilets were intend to continue using them. We Community ponds were identified for also formed during this time. can now also ask the panchayat to provide us with simi- dewatering. MOUs were drawn up with lar toilets." Mukhtarun Bibi, Kusumtala Village the Panchayat and pond owners. "We carried out rigorous house to Altogether 208 ponds were dewatered. "All the water in the region was house hygiene promotion including 7 saline and since the water was Household Monitoring Water testing the preparation of safe drinking used for irrigation purposes, most Volunteers visited door to door to ensure water and hand washing techniques Water testing was routinely done for families suffered crop loss . Oxfam both before and after meals and that Public Health messages were under- salinity, residual chlorine and bacterio- supported in removing the saline water. Pumps were nature calls. I would really think stood and were being practiced. Each of the installed and water drained out to clean the ponds." logical tests. 205 such tests were con- that it is only as a result of our rig- 10,000 households in the project area were Palan Chandra Das, Durganagar Village ducted, and communities were made orous work that not even a single case of diarrhoea was visited multiple times between June and aware of the results of these tests. reported from our village”. Volunteer Gayathri Nanda, August 2009. Haripur GP Budget distribution

Approximately £351,000 was secured under a difficult funding environment. Based on findings from rapid assessment and gaps analysis, OI prioritized distribution of NFI and PHP over engaging in large infrastructural works. This was mainly because the government had an ongoing Total Sanitation Campaign and had announced more water sanitation support to affected communities. Overheads especially in transportation were high due to the remoteness of the targeted location.

47% PHP

24% Shelter

18% HR & Admin.

7% Water & Sanitation

3% WH & Trans.

1% M & E

Response Timeline

May 25 Cyclone Aila Strikes 26 First IAG meeting in Kolkata, first meeting with field partner 27 Needs Assessment, field partners accompany As contingency relief material arrive, they are One of over two hundred contaminated ponds the team transported to remote and disconnected commu- that were dewatered; in this case, using several 28 Relief for 10,000 Households planned Images nities. electric pumps at a time. 29 OGB commitment for a response £200,00, Community groups take part in village cleaning Community men, women and children try to sal- Oxfam Australia pledges support of £25,000 drive. vage fish at a recently dewatered pond. 30 Contingency Stocks arrive from Orissa June 01 Partnerships formalised Testing water quality. 26 May 09 : Following the cyclone, sea-water Bandana Bhuniya of Gobindopur village, happy 02 Oxfam base established on the field rushes into the village through a breach in the to have received a medicated mosquito net. Women at the newly constructed temporary toi- 03 First distribution of NFI embankment. One of over a hundred handpumps that were let facility. 24 Oxfam Hong Kong pledges £106,000 Farmland and ponds are inundated by the sea- made functional to meet drinking water require- July 16 Second round distribution of Hygiene Kits. surge, and men and women struggle with basic ments. 24 Mid-term lessons learnt workshop necessities like drinking water. August 03 Independent Program Evaluation As a part of the non-food-item kit distribution Abbreviations in this page OI Oxfam India, NFI Non Food Items, PHP Public Health Mud-houses, a predominant feature of the area, drive, a volunteer visits every recipient house- 28 Exit meeting with Community, PRI and Block Promotion, HR Human Resources, WH & Trans. Warehousing Administration are devastated in the wake of the cyclone, with hold to demonstrate how to disinfect drinking & Transporation, M&E Monitoring and Evaluation, IAG Inter little left to salvage. water. Agency Group, OGB Oxfam GB, PRI Panchayati Raj Institution 31 End of Program activities Budget distribution

47% PHP

24% Shelter

18% HR & Admin.

7% Water & Sanitation

3% WH & Trans.

1% M & E

Response Timeline

Cyclones, floods, droughts, and man-made Planning for Human Resources for disaster Organisation Location H* disasters have always been features to response is a part of Oxfam India's nation- Sundarbans Social Patharpratima which Oxfam's humanitarian program must wide contingency plan. Under this system Development Centre 1,992 respond. Over the years, Contingency professional agencies, potential NGO or CBO Indranarayan Patharpratima, Planning has proved to be one of the best partners, volunteers and technical experts 8,008 strategies for timely response. from a wide range of sectors are pre- Nazrul Samriti Sangh Namkhana identified and, in specific cases, agreements Under this plan, vulnerability maps / Total *Households covered 10,000 databases are maintained, and moderate for future engagements are drafted. quantities of highly critical relief materials Individuals and organisations are engaged in Total Beneficiaries 60,000 are procured and pre-positioned during ongoing capacity building exercises. 28,201 Women 43% 31,799 Men 57% peace time. 50% A community focus group discussion in progress at the Patharpratima Pre-positioning of contingency stock in East block of the Sunderbans. India began from 2005, arising out of the need to quickly reach relief to crisis-prone areas in the East and North East. It has helped save many lives during emergencies, Good Practices Lessons Learnt Evaluation Benchmarks especially in remote areas that get disconnected during severe flooding or cyclones. Experience has enabled Oxfam India to At a mid-term workshop held on 24 - 25 July Oxfam International has the following Within day 4 of the Aila response, Oxfam evolve practices that ensure speedy, '09, the Oxfam India team gathered to share preset benchmarks against which all was able to deploy relief material for 3000 efficient and appropriate response during learning from the work in progress. Here are disaster risk reduction programmes and households in Patharpratima block, using emergencies. Here are some highlights: some highlights: crisis responses are evaluated: the contingency stocks positioned in Orissa. ! ! Keeping contingency stocks helps the organisa- Depending on context, different partnership A The speed and timeliness of the response tion to respond within 72 hours. approaches need to be evolved. Some will be good relative to other actors, with ! partners can lead an intervention with consideration of emergency preparedness Catastrophic fund (CAT FUND) with Oxfam as minimal support while others might need to measures in place well partners helps to initiate a rapid response. be led. One approach does not suit all. ! B Relief provided is of a quality and scale Organization Level Disaster Preparedness Plan ! Oxfam India (OI) should have a Public Health appropriate to the context that would be (OLDP) and Standard Operating Procedures Advisor who can take lead in developing expected of Oxfam's capacity, and is valued (SOP) ensures speed and efficiency. response strategies and coordination. There by the affected population ! Simulation exercise keeps the organization in is currently no public health lead in the C An effective management structure is in readiness. country and hence the OI is dependant on place, provides clear, well-communicated ! external agencies for technical support. Separate set of policies and guidelines for decision-making and direction ! Contingency stocks are pre-positioned in Humanitarian Responses helps to fast-track It is assumed that buckets are cheaper than D Key support functions are sufficiently Orissa West Bengal Bihar and Assam procedures during emergencies. pitcher; however many community members resourced and being effectively run. Risks ! preferred the pitcher to the bucket. A cost Critical suppliers are identified, and agreements that are being taken are being calculated and A woman returns with relief material while others wait analysis needs to be done for procurement their turn at a Relief Material Distribution centre. done beforehand. documented and distribution of some items that are ! In-house capacity is continuously built . preferred by the community. E Oxfam International relationships are ! ! productive and well coordinated, under the Working with trained and experienced partners, The assessment team should be diverse; leadership of OI whose capacities are built during peace time. including staff with Public Health back- ! ground. F The programme has considered the longer Engaging with IAG, INGOs, NGOs and govern- ! term implications and has taken ment helps to coordinate responses and There should be emphasis on participatory connectiveness into consideration minimise duplication. planning, especially with partners staff, and ! participatory assessment for exercises such Engaging humanitarian professionals, volunteers as pond dewatering. and leading organizations like RedR India, In August, RedR India initiated an independ- ! SPHERE and UNICEF etc. ensures appropriate Coordination with Government agencies at ent evaluation of the Aila response program support when needed. district and city level needs to be improved. against these benchmarks. ! ! Evaluation Oxfam India (OI) was able to initiate a quick assess- The Engineering interventions were low capital Key Donors and Funding ment, and Oxfam staff was on the ground within first 2 intensive and very effective. ! days. OI's preparedness in terms of contingency stocks In many villages, the pre-existing watsan infrastructure and availability of experts played a major role in the did not meet sphere minimum indicators. This is an rd th Between 3 and 10 August '09, a three speedy and timely response. They are also important issue Oxfam can consider for a longer term engage- GB* £ 200,000 member team from RedR India conducted pointers for ensuring a similar speedy response in the ment in the area. future. ! Hong Kong £ 106,000 extensive field visits, FGDs and interviews ! The program was responsive to changing needs, and with key stakeholders within Oxfam, Identification of good partners at the outset helped in community interactions were an important component Australia £ 20,000 speeding up access, design and launch of the program. partners and beneficiaries. of decision making. This clearly highlights the critical importance of having ! Individual Indian donors £ 10,000 The agency submitted a detailed evaluation good partners. The 'ways of working' document prepared by Oxfam and Corporates report, which is summarised here: ! manger ensured the field staff were clear about the OI experience came in handy in designing the response; process of implementation. } however the major modifications, especially in the ! The high percentage of women volunteers helped in hardware components, indicates that capacity has to * Oxfam GB also provided lead and be built within OI to improve the design of such inputs. targeting women and children in the PH programs, ! which was instrumental in giving better results. Humanitarian Support Personnel (HSPs). The lack of publicity resulted in failure to raise ! OGB played an advisory role by deploying resources from new sources, which limited OI from The monitoring system can be further developed and one of their senior most humanitarian leads expanding to other areas. The initial plan to cover standardised by OI for all its emergency responses in more households was not achieved. the future. to India for support. ! ! Bad weather and poor accessibility to most of the The logistics team was somewhat over burdened. villages was a major challenge in reaching the However, the presence of experienced persons made a beneficiaries. difference. ! Although over a limited area, OI responded well by working with people in the worst affected blocks and Excited children at Kusumtala village. In the background, saline water were well coordinated with IAG. is being pumped out from a pond ! The targeting was logical and transparent; special "Overall, the OI response was a successful pro- focus was maintained on women and children. gram. It was a well designed, well targeted and ! well implemented response based on the institu- The response package had a lot of emphasis on distributions, and Public Health (PH) & Hygiene tional understanding that Oxfam has developed promotion. over several flood responses in the recent past." A member of the RedR India team, accompanied by a partner staff member, in conversation with women in the Namkhana block of Sunderbans.

Much of this work has been conducted sanitation, emergency shelter and food aid under conditions of change – frequent to the worst affected and unreached during disasters, rising population densities, a humanitarian crisis. deteriorating natural resources, and increasingly uncertain and unpredictable Oxfam's humanitarian work in India focus climatic conditions. Oxfam's humanitarian on the three objectives of Oxfam's Rights in response work is about 'preparedness at all Crisis Framework: times' allowing our teams to demonstrate Responsibility to protect, About Oxfam their ongoing commitment to providing aid Right to assistance, and Thank You! where it is required most. Disaster Risk Reduction and securing Oxfam has 50 years of experience working Oxfam is a world leader in disaster livelihoods in vulnerable areas. Oxfam India, on behalf of partners and the with the world's poorest and most vulnera- response, renowned for providing clean people of Sunderbans, would like to thank Oxfam India's risk reduction and disaster pre- ble disaster hit communities across the water and sanitation to save lives and the Individual Indian donors and paredness programming works at many levels. country. prevent further losses by stopping the Corporates. It saves lives, reduces vulnerability to major outbreak of deadly diseases. Over the years, Oxfam has worked to assist threats, enhances the capacity of partner Without their valued contributions, it would poor rural people living in marginal or Every year, we respond to emergencies in organisations to respond to crises, strength- not have been possible to reach the target vulnerable geographies to be prepared and over 30 countries around the world. In India ens the capacity of the rural poor to respond of providing relief and recovery services to manage their hazard risks thus reducing Oxfam has responded to all major humani- to the disasters, and promotes a broad range 10,000 households; about 60,000 men, their vulnerability to disasters. tarian crises within India with speed and has of livelihood security programmes in disaster women and children. } maintained consistent focus on water & prone areas. ! ! Evaluation Oxfam India (OI) was able to initiate a quick assess- The Engineering interventions were low capital Key Donors and Funding ment, and Oxfam staff was on the ground within first 2 intensive and very effective. ! days. OI's preparedness in terms of contingency stocks In many villages, the pre-existing watsan infrastructure and availability of experts played a major role in the did not meet sphere minimum indicators. This is an rd th Between 3 and 10 August '09, a three speedy and timely response. They are also important issue Oxfam can consider for a longer term engage- GB* £ 200,000 member team from RedR India conducted pointers for ensuring a similar speedy response in the ment in the area. future. ! Hong Kong £ 106,000 extensive field visits, FGDs and interviews ! The program was responsive to changing needs, and with key stakeholders within Oxfam, Identification of good partners at the outset helped in community interactions were an important component Australia £ 20,000 speeding up access, design and launch of the program. partners and beneficiaries. of decision making. This clearly highlights the critical importance of having ! Individual Indian donors £ 10,000 The agency submitted a detailed evaluation good partners. The 'ways of working' document prepared by Oxfam and Corporates report, which is summarised here: ! manger ensured the field staff were clear about the OI experience came in handy in designing the response; process of implementation. } however the major modifications, especially in the ! The high percentage of women volunteers helped in hardware components, indicates that capacity has to * Oxfam GB also provided lead and be built within OI to improve the design of such inputs. targeting women and children in the PH programs, ! which was instrumental in giving better results. Humanitarian Support Personnel (HSPs). The lack of publicity resulted in failure to raise ! OGB played an advisory role by deploying resources from new sources, which limited OI from The monitoring system can be further developed and one of their senior most humanitarian leads expanding to other areas. The initial plan to cover standardised by OI for all its emergency responses in more households was not achieved. the future. to India for support. ! ! Bad weather and poor accessibility to most of the The logistics team was somewhat over burdened. villages was a major challenge in reaching the However, the presence of experienced persons made a beneficiaries. difference. ! Although over a limited area, OI responded well by working with people in the worst affected blocks and Excited children at Kusumtala village. In the background, saline water were well coordinated with IAG. is being pumped out from a pond ! The targeting was logical and transparent; special "Overall, the OI response was a successful pro- focus was maintained on women and children. gram. It was a well designed, well targeted and ! well implemented response based on the institu- The response package had a lot of emphasis on distributions, and Public Health (PH) & Hygiene tional understanding that Oxfam has developed promotion. over several flood responses in the recent past." A member of the RedR India team, accompanied by a partner staff member, in conversation with women in the Namkhana block of Sunderbans.

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Children show off their soapy hands at a hygiene camp