Emergency requirements Getting the most essential
requirements for survival of the cyclone-battered people is a
priority and those involved with relief and rehabilitation work have made plans for this purpose in their own ways. The secretaries of different ministries at a meeting on Thursday have decided to put their acts together under an umbrella project. So the ministries will have to make their respective assessment of the damage caused by the super
cyclone and submit reports to the Ministry of Planning within a fortnight. The merit of such a coordinated move cannot be overemphasized because it will know exactly the requirements in the affected area. However, this move is aimed at chalking out mid-term and long-term projects. What about the emergency needs of the survivors of the calamity?
Scarcity of water, not just of the drinking water, poses to be the biggest threat as people find no safe water for cleaning and washing them. Bloated and rotten human and animal dead bodies in their hundreds and thousands have contaminated water in all the water bodies there. The misery has been further compounded by leaves of uprooted trees getting into all the stagnant sources of water. Many of the survivors have still the same cloths on them since the cyclone struck on the night of November 15 and they must change
clothes and clean themselves to avoid diseases. So not only do they require safe water for washing but also disinfectants, soaps and clothes for maintaining a minimum level of personal hygiene. Then comes the question of long exposure to elements right at the beginning of winter which can be
fatal for the old people and the young ones. So supply of blankets and tents in adequate number has to be the next priority.
When the situation is so desperate, how exigent it can be for the newborn and babies relying on baby
food needs no elaboration. But this aspect is not usually given the priority it deserves. People who have lost everything cannot afford costly baby milk or food and their mothers, because they do not have regular meals to eat, are not likely to have enough breast milk to feed their babies. No situation is as desperate as this and the nation will have only itself to blame if these young
ones do not get enough sustenance because their families are in no position to manage their food. Any oversight of issues like this can be fatal and we sincerely hope no such thing will happen.
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