Disaster Relief Cell

Emergencies are incidents that threaten public safety, health and welfare. In June 2007, Balochistan province faced the wrath of the tropical cyclone “YemYin” resulting in torrential rains and flash floods across the province. It caused widespread destruction affecting thousands of households. Hundreds of villages and human settlements were wiped out. More than 250 people lost their lives and around 2 million people rendered shelterless. Standing crops, food and water supplies, livestock and other sources of livelihood were totally or in some areas partially destroyed. Health, Education, Water and Sanitation infrastructure was disrupted in the affected districts.

The destruction was so rapid and unprecedented that the households could only mange to save their lives and lost everything including their food supplies and clothing. When the waters rushed in, they got their women and children out and ran for higher ground, leaving their homes behind. Row upon row of houses became desolate fields of dried mud and uprooted bush. In some areas there was not a trace that a human settlement ever existed there. Another series of rain spells followed by sweltering summer heat added to the woes of the people. Food and water supplies, shelter, clothing and medical care were the immediate needs.

BRSP’s response to flood in Balochistan

According to the initial situation analysis, it was difficult to get accurate statistics about the damages and even more difficult to assess the needs as the records of local departments and governments were not available for many UCs.

BRSP, upon the advice of Governor Balochistan, initiated relief coordination meetings with UN agencies, INGOs, and NGOs on the third day of the disaster. It brought together relevant stakeholders to coordinate the relief activities. Banking on the momentum generated by BRSP, the donor organizations and government departments initiated cluster formation and coordination mechanism.

BRSP initiated relief activities soon after the disaster struck the province. At that critical point NRSP (National Rural Support Program) provided Rs. 2 million to facilitate BRSP in conducting a detailed survey in the flood affected districts of Balochistan. Based on its field presence, BRSP immediately started relief services in Khuzdar, Bolan and Noshki. BRSP's interventions were well accepted by the communities in these districts and developed extensive relationships.

A brief tabular glance of BRSP’s interventions in the 2007 flood in Balochistan is given below:

District	Ration provided	Shelter provided	Animals treated	Kitchen utensils
Khuzdar	500	350	100000	350
Bolan	350	350	900000	350
Noshki	150	100	10000	100

District	Food items provided	Agriculture inputs
Noshki	4000	4000
Bolan	5714	5714
Washuk	4000	4000
Kharan	2200	2200
Chagi		2500
Jhal Magsi		3000

Interventions	Wheat flour	Pulses	Oil	Salt	FBF	Total
	(In metric ton)
Food for work	3,387.84	455.32	3471.49	45.53	320.15	4,550

After leading the entire relief interventions, BRSP holds an important space of being the leading organization in Balochistan. Importantly, BRSP has the experiences of implementing 11 projects in the sectors of education, nutrition, health, water & sanitation, agriculture, livestock, shelter, distribution of food and non food items.

BRSP is in position to cope with another unfortunate disaster, if it, god forbid, happens in any part of Balochistan. BRSP has the organizational structure and human resource that can lead any natural or man-made disaster.