Emergency Relief for Victims of Cyclone Phailin

In November 2013, International Medical Corps began to move from its emergency response strategy of delivering health care through mobile medical units, to a more long-term strategy of building the resilience of local communities through training and improving access to clean water sources.

Working with communities in the same areas ravaged by the cyclone, International Medical Corps has since been focused on restoring capacity and building self-reliance in these communities by developing solutions to mitigate destruction from future storms, such as investing in strategies to help communities access clean water and thwart the spread of disease -- which ultimately help local community members to become their own, best First Responders.

International Medical Corps has helped lay the foundation for building resilience in India through the following strategies:

• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: In November, International Medical Corps’ team developed an early recovery plan to respond to longer-term water needs and challenges, especially for women and girls. Working with our local partner, these efforts focused on reducing future disaster risks, specifically related to ensuring a clean water supply and educating the community on the links between hygiene and health. An awareness campaign on safe water, sanitation and hygiene practices was implemented at the community level and in ten schools beginning in January 2014, and was timed in conjunction with the distribution of hygiene kits that include water purification tabs, jerry cans, soap, shampoo and other basic necessities to help families stay healthy.

• Improving Infrastructure: One of the main challenges of ensuring clean water in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Phailin was the submersion of hand pumps in flood waters, which can contaminate the water source and lead to the spread of epidemic-causing diseases such as cholera and other water-borne illness. In December, International Medical Corps identified eight villages with compromised water supplies due to flooding and the submersion of pumps, and constructed elevated platforms to raise the height of hand pumps in these villages. Bathing cubicles were also attached to the raised platforms, providing girls and women with a safe, hygienic, and private bathing area, thereby preserving their dignity and simultaneously reducing the environmental impact on local water sources.

• Supporting, not displacing, local programs: International Medical Corps restocked education materials, such as health care posters and pamphlets, to the Balasore District Welfare Office as much of their outreach materials were damaged in the floods.  By restocking their supply, International Medical Corps provided surge capacity, helping the local office maintain their ongoing programs, even in the face of disaster – helping to ensure uninterrupted health services and maintain the health of the community overall. 

Next Steps:

International Medical Corps will continue to expand its capacity building work in Cyclone Phailin affected areas in India by further developing the resilience of local communities through activities focused on water and sanitation awareness, such as campaigns delivered in schools, during community gatherings, and at other events. International Medical Corps is using its local network of experienced health and hygiene promoters, who speak the local language, to communicate key messages to villagers and students, verbally and visually, on a range of health topics, including: women’s personal hygiene, safety processes for drinking/storing/ handling water, use of latrines, and the hazards associated with unhygienic behavior such as not washing hands. Additional schools located in the low-lying villages affected by the cyclone will be selected for awareness campaigns and will also receive first aid and hygiene kits.

True to its mission, International Medical Corps has moved on from disaster response to rebuilding self-reliance, supporting communities’ efforts to recover and remain resilient after future disasters, and providing them with the tools they need to be their own best First Responders.