Save The Children - Children at risk from winter weather

The following report is a from Save the Children assessment: Uri, Baramulla District, Northern India.

Srinagar, 10th October

Save the Children assessment: Uri, Baramulla District, Northern India

CHILDREN AT RISK FROM WINTER WEATHER AS FAMILIES SLEEP OUTDOORS

Children are at risk of exposure to winter as families continue to stay outdoors following the massive earthquake near the border between Pakistan and India on 8 October measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale.

Staff from Save the Children who surveyed the worst-affected area of Uri in Baramulla District, Northern India, today reported that families were anxious about shelter.

"The winter is coming. Tents haven't been forthcoming. Children are very vulnerable in this kind of situation,” says Wasim Bhat, Programme Officer for Save the Children following his assessment in Uri. He reported that 50 of the 105 villages in Uri are severely affected. “Uri is the worst affected block in Baramulla District."

"A major part of the area is inaccessible," Wasim says. "It has a lot of inhospitable terrain. Very little information is currently available of the eight villages on the right banks of the Jhelum River, with about 15,000 people completely cut off. The army is trying to reach these villages through helicopters. “

The other villages affected in this particular area include Bazgram, Saraibandi, Kamalkot, Shahadra, and Madia. In some of the villages on the left banks of the Jhelum, accessible now, including Jabla, Gohala, Navpura, Salamabad, Dandi and Dachi, apart from Uri town itself, 80-90% of the buildings have collapsed. People are all sitting outside their devastated homes, braving the elements.”

Even with the few houses and other buildings still standing, they aren't structurally safe. "The only thing to do is to pull them down and rebuild them again," he says.

Official estimates of damages to houses and other structures in different areas of the district: Kupwara 50%; Trehgam 47%; Handwara 47%; Nowgam sector 90%; Tanghdar 90%; Lolab valley 40%; Ramhal 60%. Officials did not have information about the fate of scores of families of Jumgand and Kanthwali areas. The areas couldn’t be accessed.

Warm clothing and Blankets
The other major concerns that people shared with the Save the Children team are warm clothing and blankets. They don't have enough of these to keep them warm as the cold weather comes in. The heavy rain in some areas of the district the night of the earthquake caused many hardships for people sleeping outdoors. Snow will be falling soon in some of the earthquake-affected communities.

Food and water
Food and water are becoming serious concerns. Early food aid distributions have occurred by local people and informal groups "Potable drinking water is a serious problem. The mountain streams have turned black. It almost looks like an oil spill. Before the earthquake, it was clear drinking water," says Wasim. Government and aid agencies will need to address the water problem urgently.

Schools and safe areas
"There's a great need for emergency schooling. Many of the schools in the villages have been devastated," says Wasim.

The Save the Children team also noted a serious problem concerning education. It is important for children to return to a normal life as soon as possible. However, most of the schools have been destroyed or significantly damaged in Baramulla District.

Save the Children has been working with children, communities and local government to improve the quality of education in most of the districts in Jammu and Kashmir, including Baramulla and other earthquake-affected districts.

In Kupwara District, the situation is also grim. The town of Tangdhar has been almost razed to the ground, with an estimated 200 dead and more trapped under the debris. The central government has dispatched earth-moving machinery from Delhi. The information is slowly trickling in.

Roads cut off
A massive landslide has cut off the road that connects Srinagar to Muzaffarabad at Point 68 (a place called Jula) for around 3-4 kilometers. Officials said Kupwara-Tangdhar road was blocked at 10 places due to debris from landslides caused by the earthquake. The Kupwara-Keran road was completely blocked.

What Save the Children is doing

Initially Save the Children is focusing on the priority needs, including blankets, clothing and household essentials. Other items focused on helping children return to a normal life and return to studies will start shortly.

Save the Children has been working in Jammu and Kashmir for the past 28 years bringing immediate relief following disasters and long-term improvements in the lives of children and their families. The agency is active in 10 of the 14 districts in the state, including all of the earthquake-affected areas. Save the Children has responded to recent disasters in the state, including major avalanches in February 2005 and the Kargil conflict in 1999.

For interviews and more information contact Save the Children Media Unit on 0207 012 6841

Donations to Save the Children Emergency Appeal 0800 8 148 148 or www.savethechidlren.org.uk

For Media Queries:
Bidisha Fouzdar, Information Manager, b.fouzdar@scfukindia.org, Mobile: +91-9811626122


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