Hurricane Sidr: Lack of coordination in relief distribution

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In a clear show of lack of coordination in relief distribution, many cyclone-affected people living in upazila headquarters are receiving more food than they need while many on the outlying areas are starving without any food.

People living alongside roads and river ways near the upazila sadars of the cyclone-torn southern districts are receiving most of the relief materials, reported our correspondents in the affected districts.

Government officials and businessmen who had visited the areas also said relief distribution was being done haphazardly due to lack of coordination.

Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division, Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury, yesterday told businessmen during a meeting in Dhaka, “I’ve got report that cyclone victims in some areas have received large quantities of relief and they are selling the excess materials.”

Residents of Morelganj, Bagerhat yesterday said the local administration did not distribute relief there saying that they were yet to receive “central instruction”.

A local, also a government official, told The Daily Star seeking anonymity that the local administration yesterday sent back two truckloads of relief materials as there was not enough room in the depot for relief goods.

This correspondent failed to reach Morelganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) over his cellphone despite repeated attempts last night to attain his comment on the incident.

A Saturday report from Sharankhola said officials of Alam Group of Industries and a number of NGOs, voluntary organisations, political parties, socio-cultural and professional organisations and individuals had to distribute relief materials among locals at Rayenda Sadar union as they failed to go deeper into the affected areas due to disrupted road network.

More than one hundred relief-carrying vehicles remained stuck as only one ferry was operating on a river there.

Though there is no shortage in relief goods in the area, people living in remote areas is not receiving any, said local reporters.

Sekandar Ali, a Freedom Fighter and among the 250 who are staying at a shelter project in Kathaltola in Morelganj, said on Saturday that they did not receive any relief material. He requested journalists to draw the government’s attention in this regard.

Some government officials yesterday said the death of the three persons in a Patuakhali bridge collapse Saturday could be averted had the cement company people informed the local administration of their intension beforehand.

A meeting between the government and business community in Dhaka yesterday addressing the coordination problem urged all to operate relief activities in coordination with the local administration for proper distribution of relief materials.

In the meeting, many participants who had visited the cyclone-hit areas and took part in the relief operation agreed that the relief materials were being distributed haphazardly due to lack of coordination.

Saying that it is not possible to transport the relief goods to some outlying areas without helicopters, PSO Masud Uddin asked businessmen and individuals to seek assistance from the government for the relief transportation.

Replying to a query, he said the government held a meeting with foreign envoys and development partners and requested them to channel their relief goods through the administration for better coordination.

Communication Adviser MA Matin left Dhaka for Barisal yesterday to begin the activities of the central coordination body for rescue and relief operations from today.

Talking to reporters at his ministry yesterday, Law Adviser Barrister Mainul said it would be useful if the relief distribution were done in coordination with the government.

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