The right recovery

The Red Cross practices an integrated approach, coordinating and linking activities wherever possible, to maximize the impact for the beneficiaries and their communities. The major sectors of the recovery program are:

Shelter:

Distribu.ng tarpaulins was a major activity during the relief phase, and again a year later when many people still did not have adequate houses. The situation is slowly improving, but the UN estimates that in excess of 100,000 families are still in need of better housing.

After a delayed start, the Red Cross shelter program is now suppor.ng the construction of 15,000 new houses, many of which have been built already. Beneficiaries are involved in the design and choice of materials, which are being procured locally, and whenever possible beneficiaries will participate in the actual construction.

The report from the UN will be taken into consideration when planning future shelter ac.vi.es in 2010, also givien that Red Cross is one of only few organizations providing shelters.

Other elements of the shelter program includes the building of Red Cross posts, repair of community buildings and the construction of schools, some of which are financed by the Japanese Red Cross.

Livelihoods:

The first phase of the “cash‐for‐work” program paying the most vulnerable to restore damaged infrastructure was deemed a success. It has been decided to con.nue suppor.ng this project in a second phase, to provide assistance to the most vulnerable communi.es in the Delta. Livelihood support was then directed towards almost 4000 farmers (see ar.cle) before the monsoon paddy.

Debt remains a major problem for many people who lost their source of income. They have had to take loans to hire labourers, equipment and animals to plant and harvest their fields and to start making an income again.

In December 2009 the “asset for recovery” program began, dona.ng boats, animals, tools and plants to 11,500 beneficiary families.

Health:

Additional to an extensive water and sanitation program (see ar.cle) Red Cross has conducted health education sessions and first aid courses reaching over 300,000 people. Communities report about fewer cases of diarrhea and since the cyclone there has been no major outbreak of epidemics.

The extensive psychosocial support program launched after the disaster has continued but is now an integrated part of the general health activities.

Disaster Preparedness:

During 2009 this program has gained more momentum with community based disaster risk management courses conducted in a number of village and with the distribution of “early warning” equipment such as hand‐mikes and radios.

IEC material on 4 hazards, floods, storms, landslides and fires, has accompanied the training and been distributed widely, and new courses in hazard mapping and mitigation are planned for teachers and students. MRCS has finalized a national contingency plan for medium and large scale disasters, and plans for the construction of cyclone resistant shelters in the delta are under discussion.