Orissa: Cyclone Relief (Hansard, 15 March 2000)

§ Baroness Amos

In the immediate aftermath of the cyclones which devastated Orissa in October 1999, the British Government provided more than £3 million as emergency assistance. This was channelled through non-governmental and UN organisations and used primarily for the purchase of food, clothing and shelter materials. Details of the emergency assistance are listed below:

Agency	Activity	Amount
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (through British Red Cross Society)	To meet the immediate needs of the victims of the cyclone, including the provision of food, shelter materials, clothing etc	£250,000
World Vision	To provide 20,000 of the worst affected families with commodities for basic survival	£200,000
Y Care International	To provide emergency survival kits to 6,000 people in the "most affected" category	£17,000
Oxfam	To be part of a co-ordinated relief effort providing food and non-food items plus water and sanitation provision	£300,000
Care International	To assist the survivors of the initial impact of the cyclone who are now vulnerable to the elements, poor nutrition and illness	£250,000

216WA

Agency	Activity	Amount
World Food Programme	Provision of food to 60,000 vulnerable households	£300,000
Save the Children	To provide immediate relief needs for 100,000 people in Puri district (food, blankets, shelter materials)	£478,368
CARE	To provide shelter materials and blankets	£150,000
Christian Aid	Provision of shelter material and clothing for cyclone victims	£330,000
	To assist vulnerable families with their immediate food, clothing, medical and shelter needs (networking with Gram Vikas, a local NGO)	£200,000
HelpAge International	To assist older and more vulnerable victims by the provision of shelter materials, blankets and food	£100,000
Organisation of Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA)	To assist OCHA's co-ordination efforts	£50,000
UNICEF	To provide immediate humanitarian needs, including relief and welfare, restoration of basic social services	£500,000
Miscellaneous expenses	Assessment mission to Orissa	£25,000
	Total Expenditure	£3,150,368

Following the completion of the emergency phase, the Government plan to spend more than £23 million over the next six months to help the Government of Orissa meet its rehabilitation needs. This assistance will focus primarily on health, education and rural livelihoods. The funds earmarked for health (more than £3 million) are being disbursed partly through UNICEF, partly through Médecins Sans Frontières. The education rehabilitation support (about £4 million) is being channelled mainly through UNICEF. The £16 million planned for rural livelihoods support will be disbursed partly through local non government organisations and partly through the state government.

In addition, DfID is also developing plans for longer-term rehabilitation support. DfID is considering support for rebuilding primary schools and health centres which were destroyed, to be funded through the Government of Orissa.