Coordination concerns
No doubt Cyclone Sidr has been the severest tropical storm in recent times. The damage suffered in terms of human lives and crops is also incalculable, although loss of human lives is comparatively less than on previous occasions. It could have been even less if there were adequate cyclone shelters. However, it seems that lack of coordination is standing in the way of efficient relief efforts. This, we are afraid, may hamper reaching the much needed immediate succor to the worst affected.
Admittedly, it cannot be an easy task to access all the remote areas since the normal modes of transport have been severely disrupted with interior roads being still clogged. But the task is to ensure that the needy and the most affected are attended to on priority basis. Government organisations, international and national NGOs, various donor countries and multilateral organisations are participating in relief and rehabilitation efforts. There is a lot of fellow feeling and people from all walks of life are rushing forward with whatever they can. Lately, the political parities are also going afield. That's why the need to coordinate the relief efforts assumes critical importance.
Reportedly, those areas that are hogging the media headlines seem to attract most relief efforts, which should not be the case. The women and children are somewhat lagging behind in securing relief materials. There is a gap between effective demands for essentials and speed and quantity at which these are being supplied afield. Scarcity is one problem and the other is UP chairmen and members in certain pockets are distributing cards to their own constituencies at the expense of others. Lack of coordination and supervision is the reason, a problem that must be addressed by opening composite coordination cells in affected localities.
The fact that we have so far received huge quantity of relief materials from our friends abroad and are also going to receive more relief delivery assets in terms of helicopters and speed boats, means that the coordination of relief operation should be geared up even more, so that all the assets can be used optimally and the abjectly needy get the maximum succour.
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