REPORT OF THE RELIEF AND RESTORATION WORK AT THE KASIMEDU AREAS FOR THE VICTIMS AFFECTED BY THE TSUNAMI TIDE ON 26 DECEMBER 2004

INTRODUCTION
Karunalaya Social Service Society is one of the recognised and leading voluntary organisation working for the protection and development of street and working children in Chennai City. And is the only organisation concentrating for the development of children in the poor fishing community in North Chennai for the past 9 1/2 years. The Founder Director of Karunalaya Mr. N. Paul Sunder Singh is also an Alumnus of the Netherlands Institute of Social Studies in The Hague belonging to the batch of the year 2000 study on Development, Law and Social Justice. Karunalaya has been providing education to the child labourers and admitting them in formal school after withdrawing them from child labour. Karunalaya also provides a short stay home for the runaway, destitute, street children in coastal North Chennai and works to reunite children with their families after tracing them.

THE CURRENT CRISIS
On 26.12.2004 at about 6.30 am we all experienced a tremor, which lasted for about 30 seconds or so. Then at about 8.30 am in the morning an unexpected tidal wave smashed the shore and swept every thing, including, men, women , children, fishing boats, catamarans, fibre boats, fish nets, small shops, and the whole habitation of the fishing community were washed away. People from then on were displaced, many stand stranded without a change of cloth, some have not seen their loved ones since then searching. Many are in the hospital in critical conditions. Many dead bodies were recovered and cremated. Now the clearing of the debries is on, more dead bodies are expected to be recovered. Please also see the DE HAAGSE COURANT, the Newspaper in Den Haag, dated 28th December 2004, for the interview from the Dutch volunteers Ms. Mijke and Ms. Loes who are with Karunalaya in Chennai at the moment also involved in our relief mission.

In this situation, Karunalaya immediately started emergency relief work, providing sustained food supply from the 26th evening. Many of the people were given temporary shelter in our Shelter Home for Street Children. Old clothes were immediately collected from our friends, neighbourhood and distributed to the people. The following is the areas covered by us in this relief operation and the damage situation for the people.

What has been done so far since 26 December 2004
1. Immediately after the disaster, Karunalaya has been providing cooked food for the people in the above areas continuously. About 650 kgs of rice cooked each day.
2. A quick assessment of the damage situation by the staff team was done on the 27th December 2004
3. Collection of old clothes for distribution to the people is being done
4. We have also dispatched about 22 boxes of clothes to Nagapattinam district where more loss of life and damage has occurred
5. Attended a meeting called by the Collector of Chennai and the District Social Welfare Officer on 29.12.2004 at 11.am and appraised of the relief work and the disparity in providing government relief to victims, and the discontent in the service delivery of government machinery - ground realities.
6. Coordinating with other active NGOs like Bro. SIGA ANIMATION CENTRE in motivating many people to support the relief work.
7. Involved many volunteers in the relief operation some such volunteers are worth mentioning;

1. Ms. Mijke
2. Ms. Loes
3. Ms. Elena
4. Dr. Elizabeth Negi
5. Mr. Senthilathiban and team (Sparks Development Group)
6. Mr. Shanmugam and team (BSAC)
7. Dr. Pavithra
8. Dr. Sailakshmi
9. Mr. Henry and Ms. Shailaja (Genuine Computers)
10. And the whole staff team of KARUNALAYA involved in the relief operation
11. Children in the shelter home of Karunalaya are involved in the relief operation

Some of the philanthropists who extended immediate support for relief work

1. Dr. Elizabeth Negi – Rs. 5000/-
2. Fr. Josh – 2 bags of rice
3. Fr. Gerard – 5 bags of rice
4. Dr. Sai Lakshmi – Rs. 1000/-
5. Dr. Pavithra – Rs. 275/- and clothes
6. Mr. Badhri – Rs. 5000/-
7. Dr. Dilip Metha Hospital Pvt Ltd – 800 food packets
8. Mr. Andreez – 1 rice bag
9. Virtual Text – Rs. 2500
10. Mr. Ravi, Rathna Traders – Rs. 500
11. Office Tigers – Rs. 3000
12. Mr. Henry and Ms. Shailaja, Genuine Computers – Rs. 600 + 6 bags of rice
13. Wheels India Ltd, Padi – 300 Kg rice + Dhall+Oil+ spices etc..
14. Rotary club through Siga Animation Centre – 20 boxes of clothes
15. Ms. Mijke, Ms. Loes, Mr. Elena – 500 Kg rice, 200 Kg, Dhall, 100 kg oil, packing covers, knifes, vegetables, and continuous support

NEEDS FOR THE AFFECTED

1. Food
2. Clothing
3. Blankets, towels
4. School Uniform
5. Mats
6. School books and materials
7. Cooking utensils
8. Nutrition Supplement
9. Cerelac Milk supplement for babies
10. Temporary Shelter
11. Toilet soap, washing soap
12. Tooth powder, paste,
13. Raw Rice, dhall, oil, spices
14. Fishing Nets, repairing of the boats, catamarans
15. Medicine

THE NEED FOR THE RELIEF PROJECT
Since the loss of life and property to the fishing community has almost rendered homeless, they are presently living on the roads, small halls, NGOs shelters and government schools. The food is being supplied by Karunalaya for the affected people. A round the clock kitchen has been set up temporarily at the premises of Karunalaya where Street children are sheltered, food packed and supplied involving the community women, self help group women and youth. Though we were able to mobilise food from the local people, the other relief such as Clothing, blankets, mats, cooking utensils, toiletries are the next phase of relief supplies needed which will costs a considerable amount. But the important other relief is the restoring of their hutments for a temporary shelter. They have been living in huts in the slums, which have been destroyed, damaged and washed away by the seawater, which needs to be rebuilt for them to restore normal life. The larger issue of long-term housing is at the hands of the government to decide as it involves land issue. The present land in which the people living in the Kasimedu areas are encroachments by the people. This place was very easy for them to go for fishing and other related employment. So building concrete houses in the present place is not possible. But since they need to restore normal life, building hutments for the people who lost their houses is an immediate need which the people cannot afford having lost everything. Therefore through this project restoration of normal life for the affected poor fishermen community at Kasimedu by providing all immediate relief is the main aim.

BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR THE RELIEF WORK NEEDED

N. Paul Sunder Singh
Director