SOCHARA

The SOCHARA Disaster Response Archive

“Responding to disasters in South Asia has been a long standing strategy of SOCHARA especially since many of the pioneers associated with the evolution of SOCHARA had their own life changing experiences in disaster responses including the East Pakistan Refugee Camps (1971); Andhra Cyclone (1978) and other disasters.”

Source: SOCHARA website section on Disaster Response introduction

Audio clips on why responding to disaster has been a long standing strategy of SOCHARA.

“How does engaging in disaster response/relief help the larger goal of Health for All?”

We have now decided that we would like to work at a more grassroot level supporting the growing community health movement. We have discovered that we are committed to a process of attitudinal change not a speciality; a value system not a university curriculum or regulation; a health movement not a medical institution and hence we realise that we have now grown beyond the perspectives of a preventive and social medicine department….. We have now felt the need to move out of the confines of a university regulated teaching department to an informal, small documentation and research cell, which will encourage and catalyse the growing awareness and interest in Community Health and Health by the people.”

[Source: letter of resignation by Ravi and Thelma Narayan before leaving SJMC to start CHC with the other two co-founders.]

” Equity, ecologically – sustainable development and peace are at the heart of our vision of a better world – a world in which a healthy life for all is a reality; a world that respects, appreciates and celebrates all life and diversity; a world that enables the flowering of people’s talents and abilities to enrich each other; a world in which people’s voices guide the decision that shape our lives. There are more than enough resources to achieve this vision”

[Source : The People’s Charter for Health – The People’s Health Movement, Dec. 2000]

To create an awareness in the principles and practice of Community Health among all people involved and interested in Health and related sectors. 

۞ To undertake research in Community Health Policy issues particularly: – Community health care systems – Health human power training strategies – Health and development interactions – Medical pluralism and integration of medical systems. 

۞ To evolve educational strategies that will enhance the knowledge, skill and attitudes of people involved in Community Health and development. 

۞ To dialogue with health planners decision makers and administrators to enable the formulation and implementation of community oriented health policies. ۞ To promote and support community health action through voluntary as well as governmental initiative. “

[Source:   First pamphlet of CHC, 1992, Aims and Objectives ]

If you are someone looking for a guide to help you understand how to be a “volunteer” who is “effective” and want to understand the aspects of disaster management then the following sections might help you gain some clarity.

If not, skip ahead to the sections on SOCHARA’s disaster response efforts

The volunteer’s corner

What is a Disaster

Disaster is defined by the Oxford English dictionary as ‘a sudden, great misfortune’. 

For practical purposes, it has to be understood that disaster is not the event itself

Disaster is the situation arising out of an event where disruption of a great magnitude occurs in life (human, animal and plant) and life supporting systems (water, air, sunlight, food etc). This separates a disaster from an accident or incident

Source: Disaster Relief Through Voluntary Agencies chapter by Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur in WHO sponsored Report on Core Faculty Training workshop on Disaster Preparedness, National Teacher Training Centre, JIPMER, 1991

Classification of disasters

Natural: Human made:Others:
EarthquakesCommunal riotsEpidemics
FloodsEthnic conflictsIndustrial disasters
TsunamiRefugee situations after warFires
CycloneDevelopment displacementMajor transport accidents
DroughtMigrationFestival/ Pilgrimage related disasters including stampede
Minor: Heat/Cold waves/ Avalanche/Landslide/HailstormsLarge scale food poisoning
Alcohol/Liquor tragedies
Types of Disasters [Sources: India Disasters report-2000(OUP) and Disaster Response: SOCHARA experience training module for CHLP (SOCHARA- SOPHEA)]

Issues

Health
  • Injury & Disability,
  • Infectious diseases,
  • Psychosocial consequences,
  • Nutrition challenges,
  • Water and Sanitation challenges
Social/ Societal
  • Human rights,
  • Gender,
  • Ecological,
  • Urban mal planning,
  • Displacement,
  • Marginalisation/Social exclusion/Discrimination
Health & Humanitarian Challenges

Components 1-6

[Refer: Disaster Response: SOCHARA experience training module for CHLP (SOCHARA- SOPHEA)]

Here is a sequence to help you understand how to prepare for a stint of volunteering in a disaster/crisis situation

Step 1:

  • Understand the nature of the disaster you are dealing with
  • Health problems that are common to all disasters are due to :- climatic exposure, food and nutrition issues, mental health issues, communicable diseases, injuries following a disaster 
Diseases to be monitored when people are housed in temporary shelters after an onslaught or disaster event
  • Due to overcrowding: diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory complaints, TB scabies, tinea, skin conditions,
  • Vector borne diseases due to sanitation issues: dengue, malaria (region specific), meningococcal meningitis(region specific), hookworm infestation, 
  • Food scarcity, nutritional deficiencies– xerophthalmia, anemia
  • Injury related– tetanus. 
  • Women’s health issues related to menstrual hygiene, pregnancy, lactation
  • Point to remember: Important to gather information on the vaccination cover in that particular place before deciding on the need for mass immunisations

Step 2:

[Refer: Distance learning in health and family welfare management, Module 9, disaster management, 1993 by National Institute of Health & Family Welfare, Disasters and Dimensions for management in Health ]

  • Who is delivering health care during a crisis like this- local health personnel, community, local authorities/ individuals/groups, NGO’s, volunteers
  • What do you need to consider prior to managing the health aspects?[Refer:Dimensions of health management (pg12-13)]
  • Planning to manage a disaster [Refer: (pg 13-17)]
  • Implementing disaster management strategy [Refer: (pg 17-19)]

Step 3:

Planning for Post disaster action- what can you and the community expect (pg 19-23)

Assessing the services and resources

General information on:

  • Inventory of support material required for assistance,
  • Family groupings,
  • Temporary shelters and sanitation,
  • Disposal of the dead,
  • Dealing with animals,
  • Health problems in this phase:- monitoring the community’s health, health education, reporting by the local health personnel

RESOURCE MANUALS:

  1. Distance learning in health and family welfare management, Module 9, disaster management, Pg: 2-24, 1993 by National Institute of Health & Family Welfare, Disasters and Dimensions for management in Health
  1. Disaster Management A Reader,by National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISC Bangalore,2003. Article by Dr.Sanjiv Lewin: Health and Psychosocial Consequences of Disasters– A Bangalore Response
  2. A guide to Disasters and Emergencies: Preparedness and Management of Health Services by Indian Society of Health Administrations (ISHA), First Edition 1997
  3. Coastal Orissa after Super Cyclone- A new solidarity unites Orissa villagers as they struggle to build new life- Bharat Dogra- pg 15- The basic principles of rehabilitation, pg 16- Role of NGO’s, Key indicators to be monitored

TRAINING INITIATIVES:

  1. Report on Core Faculty Training Workshop on Disaster Preparedness (WHO sponsored)- Disaster relief through voluntary agencies by Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur
  2. Tsunami Response in Kanyakumari district, TN Report of work done by….. (a formal detailed report of use for a more administrative purposes)
  3. India Disasters Report towards a policy initiative edited by Parasuraman S and Unnikrishnan P.V. (chapter written by Dr. Ravi Narayan, Epidemics: Disease as Disasters)
  4. Unified Response Strategy(URS) Sphere India , 2007, UNICEF  section on Tools and Instruments and why to adopt  URS(pg 10-12), Common Rapid Assessment Format on pg 16. 
  5. The Sphere Project- Humanitarian Charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response, 2011 Edition

EXPERIENTIAL ACCOUNTS

  1. Cyclones in Andhra Pradesh A multidisciplinary study to profile cyclone response to coastal AP, India (chapter on Rescue, Relief, Rehabilitation)
  2. Riding the Storm Community Experiences from Disaster Preparedness Initiatives in Andhra Pradesh, 1996.
  3. Tsunami Evaluation Coalition Synthesis Report: Expanded Summary. (Joint evaluation of the international response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, 2007- special note: Summary of TEC findings. (pg 3)
  4. Case Examples from Manual for Child Health Workers in Major Disasters
    pg 33-36
  5. Coastal Orissa after Super Cyclone- A new solidarity unites Orissa villagers as they struggle to build new life- Bharat Dogra pg-7 Mamta Gruha inmates support community rehabilitation, pg 11- A dog who saved children

Government Resources

  • Link to NDMA website
  • Dos and Don’ts for each type of natural disaster and man made disaster links available on the site along with resources for each. (Note:-at present there aren’t any resources on conflict related disasters. No specific information for volunteers in disaster relief)
Resources to train local community on aspects of disaster management
  • Aapda samvaad,
  • Awareness sections,
  • Booklets,
  • Sign language videos

Tools to help in psychosocial care:

  1. You can help yourself diagram on pg 6, Recovery mechanisms

[Refer: Super Cyclone information manual Psychosocial Care for Individuals: Books for Change ActionAid India 2000]

  1. Are you a Community Level Helper?

[Refer: Super Cyclone information manual Psychosocial Care for Community Level Helpers: Books for Change ActionAid India 2000]

  1. Psychosocial care in Disaster Management- My work book by NIMHANS- CARE-GHP 2004 edition
  2. Riots Manual for Psychosocial Care for Individuals
  3. Helping techniques (pg 28-31), Burnout (pg: 39-40), Appendix: Colouring book for the child from Manual for Child Health Workers in Major Disasters, NIMH US1986
  4. How helpers can cope, (pg 10-14) in Career’s for Disasters by Dr. S Abbas

The volunteer’s backpack

Essentials to carry along (coming soon….)

What happens after the disaster or the response?

What are the long term ethical and practical issues that arise?

How does one reconcile with the fact that the work in health can never end?

[Refer: MFC 50 years discussion on MFC’s response to Bhopal and the concerns raised by Satinath Sarangi]

SOCHARA’s Disaster Response (Curated list)

  1. Bangladesh Refugee camps 1971 – Dr. Ravi Narayan
  2. Andhra Cyclone 1977 – Dr. Thelma Narayan
  3. Bhopal Gas Tragedy 1984 – Dr. Thelma Narayan
  4. Bangladesh Cyclone 1991 – Dr. Shirdi Prasad Tekur, Dr. Sanjiv Lewin. Mr. S J Chander, Mr. Anand
  5. Latur Earthquake 1993 – Mr. S J Chander, Dr. Sanjiv Lewin, Dr. Arvind Kasthuri, Chandru and Krupa 
  6. Orissa Super Cyclone 1999 – Dr. Ravi D’souza, Mr. S J Chander
  7. Gujarat Earthquake 2001 – Mr. S J Chander
  8. Gujarat Riots 2002 – Dr. Thelma Narayan, Babu Mathew, Ruth Manorama
  9. Tsunami 2004 – Mr. Ameer Khan, Dr. Rakhal Gaitonde, Dr. Vinay Vishwananth,Mr. Naveen Thomas 
  10. Raichur Floods 2009 – Dr Eddie Premdas
  11. Chennai Floods 2015 – Mr. Ameer Khan, Dr. Suresh Raghunath
  12. Nepal Earthquake 2015 – Ms. Yomri Dabi

Relief efforts to be curated:

  1. Tamil camps, Sri Lanka
  2. Rajendra nagar fire
  3. Ejipura eviction
  4. Hooch tragedy
  5. Uttarakhand earthquake
  6. Rohingya camps

coming soon…..

Bangladesh Refugee camps (1971)

  • Typed document of “things to be ready to do with instructions” for the team going
  • Handwritten notes of Dr. Ravi Narayan based on newspaper articles by various authors on the Bangladesh refugee camps 
  • Handwritten and typed reflections by Dr. Ravi Narayan on his Bangladesh experience
  • Observations by Mr. H.G.T Carpenter of SJMC of Neelganj Camp with the 1st Team for Bangladesh, 20th August, 1971, Bangalore
  • Work at Neelganj – extract from letters of Dr. Ravi Narayan published under News and Notes in The Sword of the Spirit , November 1971
  • Indent of Medicines
  • SJMC medical relief work in refugee camps 
  • Rewarding Experience at Refugee Camp article in The Hindu October 1st 1971 
  • Link to article Beyond Neelganj – understanding the crisis blog written by Ravi Narayan on Bangladesh experience, under Community Tales on NarayanBlog
  • Inspiration at Neelganj under Community Tales on NarayanBlog 
  • Oral interview with Dr. Ravi Narayan 

Andhra Cyclone (1977)

Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984)

Bangladesh Cyclone (1991)

Latur Earthquake (1993)

Orissa Super Cyclone (1999)

Gujarat Earthquake(2001)

Gujarat Riots (2002)

Tsunami (2004)

Raichur Floods (2009)

Chennai Floods (2015)

  • Oral interview with Dr. Suresh Raghunath 

Nepal Earthquake (2015)

Interviews with SOCHARA Disaster Respondents….coming soon

  1. Dr. Ravi Narayan
  2. Dr. Thelma Narayan
  3. Dr. Sanjiv Lewin
  4. Mr. S J Chander
  5. Mr. Ameer Khan
  6. Dr. Suresh Raghunath

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