Oxfam IrelandO

Asia Tsunami

SITUATION UPDATE: India including Andaman & Nicobar Islands

In India and the Andaman and Nicobar Island, thanks to massive public support, Oxfam has helped over 520,000 people and spent £2.7 million on our response (as of 31 March 2005).

What is Oxfam doing?

Oxfam is currently working in four locations across South India: Chennai, with sub offices in Cuddalore and Nagercoil. There is also one office in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, based in Port Blair. Oxfam has a total of 46 staff (41 national and 5 international).

We are working through partners and community groups to deliver water and sanitation facilities (installation of hand pumps, building latrines and bathing spaces) to emergency settlements. Using community labour, Oxfam has constructed emergency shelters, and is working with professional building contractors to build permanent houses. A livelihoods and food security programme are also a key feature of our work which involves cash-for-work projects and support with the recovery of fishing and non fishing livelihoods (through cash grants and vouchers given to community members).

In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, Oxfam has installed water storage tanks, distribution networks, latrines and bathing facilities in both emergency (three month) and intermediate (six month - two year) settlements. Using professional contractors, Oxfam has built intermediate shelters and provided furniture, cooking utensils, and food stuffs for these buildings. Public health activities co-ordinated by Oxfam include distribution of hygiene materials and training of community based health volunteers in delivering key health messages to remote island residents.

What has been achieved?

Public Health

A central component of Oxfam's emergency response after the tsunami has been establishing water and sanitation facilities for approximately 7,000 households, a programme that included the rehabilitation of existing water supplies affected by sea water and debris. Oxfam hygiene kits were handed out to over 30,500 families in need of basic supplies.

On the Andaman 8 Nicobar islands, hygiene training was conducted for 6,873 households. Oxfam constructed temporary latrines and washrooms on three islands, facilities that benefited approximately 7,500 people. By cleaning and repairing water sources used by the local population, 75 pre-existing sources are now back in use. Public health awareness training is being conducted, and health workers, working with partners, are being trained. A solid waste management programme is being piloted in the Nancowire Islands.

Livelihoods and food security

Oxfam has helped to restore the livelihoods of 184 households that depend on fishing to make a living, by repairing boats and engines. We also supported the fishing industry through sponsoring a seafood festival for 1,500 participants in Cuddalore, to encourage fishing and fish consumption by the local population.

To support families who rely on non-fishing livelihoods, cash grants have been made to replace assets lost in the tsunami as well as cash-for-work programmes assisting over 8,000 households.

Oxfam distributed food to 2,000 households in southern India following the tsunami. Since most people affected by the tsunami lost everything they needed to cook with, immediate and mid-term food relief also included the provision of replacement kitchen utensils for 21,000 households. One Oxfam programme helped to distribute 1,350 metric tons of rice to approx. 14,000 households. In the Andaman Islands, food and relief items were provided to 15,000 displaced men, women and children.

Temporary and permanent shelter construction

In southern India, temporary shelters have been provided to 1,166 households and electricity is flowing to approximately 1,000 households. Oxfam is in the process of constructing 300 intermediate shelter units on the Andaman Islands, which are designed to last over a year.

Disaster Management

In the first three months of its response in India, Oxfam has helped to increase the capacity of partners to provide emergency relief and mainstream HIV/AIDS awareness and programming into their responses.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO NEED YOUR HELP NOW.