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Update on Tsunami Victims- Need for Tamil speaking voluneteers
Need for Tamil speaking voluneteers who can spend 8 -10 days in the villages.
Dear all,
Few of us from Bangalore, after the first Citizen's Initiative for Tsunami Victims Bangalore meeting, have been in Nagapattanam since the 29.12.2004. Needless to add the disaster has been on an unparalled scale in terms of the deaths, damage to property and anniliation of livelihood.
We were with the volunteers of the Democratic Youth Federation of India for two days and was part of the effort to remove and cremate dead bodies from the villages.
Perhaps one of the worst hit was the village Akkiripette in which it is estimated that over 2250 people died with bodies being recovered as late as the 1.1.2005. The bodies were themselves in an advanced state of putrefaction and were in serious danger of posing a health hazard if the disposal was not done soon.
Since the initial days of body disposal we have been involved in the rehabilitation efforts in the villages. Some of the camps have been closed with the people being forced to go back to the villages with little or no facilities. Some of the villages taking for example Kuttiandiyur as of now have no drinking water, not much shelter as many houses have been irrepareparbly damaged , no livelihood possibility (as fishing nets and boats have all been damaged and no cooking facility (either communal or individual ). Whatever little that exists is there at the behest of NGO’s and many large hearted individuals and organizations who have contributed all that they can.
There remains a lot to be done to ensure that people are not rendered destitute and pushed to join the poor on the streets of urban Tamil Nadu. In this connection in a rare example of cooperation, two of the NGO’s in Nagapattanam (the worst affected district), Sneha and SIFFS have got together to co-ordinate relief efforts. The idea is to place volunteers in each of the 50 affected villages in Nagapattinam district, who will report back through a coordinator to the NGO Coordination Stall already set up at the District Collectrate in Nagapatanam so that the concrete needs of the people affected can be reported back and the required resources and people mobilized.
From our visits to few of the affected village and the relief camps the following emerged in a general sense most of the immediate needs are being met at the relief camps in varying degrees these camps are to be closed down in the next few days with some already being so the people left with no option have to return to the villages where debris remains to be removed, no gaurantee of food, many with no shelter (except for large community tents to be set up by the government) and importantly no livelihood
In these circumstances the present effort is to ensure immediate relief supply to fulfil immediate needs and ensure whatever relief found necessary when they return to their villages. There is also a lot of thought going into addressing the livelihood question that still remains.
So there is a lot that can be contributed both in terms of material support as well as in terms of people volunteering. There is a need for Tamil speaking voluneteers who can spend 8 -10 days in the villages. If you would like to be a part of the relief effort which is vitally needed please contact. Yuvraj will be sending the list of necessary relief material periodically.
Yuvaraj: 9448371389
Anu: 9242130144
In solidarity
Neeraj, Arvind, Bobby, Anu, Deepu, Yuvraj and Clifton.