Not easy getting inside, say NGOs

Though nobody wants to admit it openly, the response of NGOs, both Indian and international, has been a bit muted compared to what followed ...

Though nobody wants to admit it openly, the response of NGOs, both Indian and international, has been a bit muted compared to what followed the Gujarat earthquake. The reason: NGOs say it is a combination of accessibility, permission from the Army and dependence on the administration for distribution in far-flung areas.

Most NGOs have just managed to survey and assess the situation on the ground. The UN agencies8212;the biggest aid mobilisers in Pakistan8212;have to take permission from the Government to get inside Kashmir.

In fact, the Government today met UNICEF for the first time after the quake and they will now be going there to 8216;8216;assess the situation.8217;8217;

As of today, very few Indian NGOs have actually started work in the Valley. A FICCI team, led by secretary general Amit Mitra, had landed in Gujarat a day after the earthquake. For Kashmir, Mitra said that they were waiting to be given access to quake-hit areas.

8216;8216;Relief in Kashmir is in the hands of the Army. You can8217;t fly into Kashmir and start relief work. In Gujarat, we could fly in and drive in from every direction. You can8217;t do that in Kashmir. As soon as we have access to Kashmir, we will go in,8217;8217; he said.

According to an Actionaid spokesperson, they are 8216;8216;entirely dependent on the local administration to take food, blankets and tents to villages in Uri and Tangdhar.8217;8217;

Actionaid coordinated a meeting with other NGOs like Oxfam, Medicines Sans Frontiers and Plan International to see the possibility of pooling in their infrastructural assets. According to their estimates, they will not be able to help more than 10,000 families when there are more than 40,000 families who require assistance given the approaching winter.

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For the Home Ministry8217;s Disaster Management Cell, relief material is 8216;8216;more than adequate8217;8217;. But the Government is yet to send its central team of doctors to provide medical assistance. The reason: they are waiting for requests from the state administration, said P K Hota, Health Secretary.