To help quake-affected people to face the Himalayan winter, winter tents equipped to insulate people in extremely cold weather conditions have been emphasised a lot in the discourse on relief effort. Unfortunately, these are not only costly but sufficient tents are just not available to meet the needs of all families rendered homeless by the recent earthquake in Kashmir and its neighbouring areas.In addition, problems have been encountered in ensuring that the limited supplies reach the needy people. There have been touching reports about quake affected people waiting for long stretches of time for tents, and then returning disappointed.In this situation should we forget the humbler but more reliable alternative of building huts? It should be possible for people in most affected villages to build huts on their own, with or without help from relief agencies providing supportive material. Another priority should be to try to stock adequate fuel wood.Rather than hold out promises of attractive winter tents that may never reach needy people (or at least won’t reach them in time), it will be more helpful to encourage, mobilise and motivate people for self-help in building huts and stockpiling firewood. Such creative self-help will, in addition, boost the morale of people. Their waiting endlessly for alternative tents can be depressing and frustrating.It is not a situation of limitless funds. A situation of scarcity of funds relative to the needs of people perhaps already exists — if we look not just at commitments but what is readily available. So once huts and fuel wood are in place, aid agencies can concentrate on providing adequate food, warm clothing and blankets.These are the essentials for all quake affected families: huts, fuel wood, adequate and nutritive food, warm clothes and blankets. A combination of self-help and focused, consolidated effort with the right priorities can ensure that all the essentials are available to the earthquake-affected families to help them survive this Himalayan winter.The governments of India and Pakistan should fully cooperate to ensure that these essentials are available to all families.
