Disaster Response and Preparedness
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Collecting water from Red Cross-constructed reservoir | |
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The Indian Red Cross, working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation) and more than 40 national societies, including the Canadian Red Cross (CRC), is coordinating a multi-faceted, three-year rehabilitation program that includes reconstruction of homes, hospitals, community health centres, dams and reservoirs and a wide range of disaster preparedness activities.
More than $57 million has been contributed the rehabilitation program by Red Cross organizations, including close to $1.6 million from the CRC and another $750,000 from the Canadian government.
Since the earthquake the CRC has sent three relief workers to assist in rehabilitation efforts in the region and will contribute approximately $3 million towards health and disaster preparedness projects.
Working with its international partners, the Indian Red Cross is reconstructing a large number of health facilities, including a 200-bed hospital designed to resist earthquake tremors and cyclones and 250 village kindergartens in the town of Bhuj.
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Hospital reconstruction in Kutch | |
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An integrated health program has been launched in Gujarat to provide basic health and hygiene education to adults and children through a network of volunteers trained in community based first aid. Health workers are providing community-based first aid training through schools and community groups and the skills they impart are not only aimed at improving the overall health of vulnerable people but also their ability to cope in the event of future disasters and outbreaks of disease.
The earthquake has also provided an opportunity for the Indian Red Cross to build up its own disaster preparedness capacity in the second most disaster prone country in the world. A Disaster Management Centre has been set up at national headquarters in New Delhi and programs are planned not only for Gujarat but other disaster prone states throughout India. A national emergency health response unit is being set up and additional emergency stocks of relief materials and equipment have been pre-positioned at eight regional warehouses around India.
