A Year After Deadly Quake, Red Cross Still Helping in Gujarat

Written by Stephanie Kriner, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated much of Gujarat on Jan. 26, 2001.

January 14, 2002 — When the violent shaking began, the residents of Bhuj thought they might die. The trembling Earth knocked them down. They fumbled to find cover or to hold onto something — anything — that might keep them steady. They could not notice the magnitude of the disaster occurring around them.

When the ground finally stopped rocking 100 seconds later, thick dust blinded them so they couldn't see from where the cries for help came. As the dust settled, a shocking scene unfolded. The entire town had collapsed into rubble: no hospital, school, pharmacy or office building had been spared.

The magnitude 7.9 quake that hit on Jan. 26, 2001, left more than 20,000 dead and 166,000 injured. Overall, more than 15 million people were affected by the disaster, according to government figures. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank said damages totaled $2.3 billion.

While Bhuj, a city in Gujarat state near the epicenter, received the most damages, villages and towns throughout the region were nearly as devastated by the quake. The Indian Red Cross immediately began responding, distributing necessary supplies to survivors, but the size and scope of the disaster was overwhelming. The American Red Cross and dozens of other disaster relief organizations from around the globe rushed to Gujarat to assist the Indian Red Cross, bringing experienced relief workers, blankets, tents, kitchen supplies and emergency health care kits. They joined other organizations to deliver medical services, food and other relief to the people still in shock from the strongest earthquake to hit India in 50 years.

Thousands of people lost their homes in the quake, and stayed in camps for the displaced.

Official government figures put the number of houses destroyed at 348,729 and the number damaged at 751,086. In addition, the government said that the quake destroyed 6,698 schoolrooms, three hospitals and more than 160 health centers. At a hospital in Bhuj that was destroyed, more than 300 people were killed, including the medical staff.

One year later, the American Red Cross is still in Gujarat, establishing long-term healthcare programs, creating reservoirs of clean water and training volunteers to provide mental health support to those suffering the emotional consequences of the devastating earthquake.

Red Cross Restores Quake-Damaged Health Services

"The earthquake destroyed much of the health infrastructure in the affected areas," said Dr. Kevin Kelly, an American Red Cross health delegate in Bhuj. "Clinics were destroyed and many medical personnel were killed or wounded. The health information system, which was weak anyway, stopped working, so for a long time no one was sure of the health status of many communities."

A field hospital was set up for the injured.

In response to the emergency, the American Red Cross and Indian Red Cross delivered 18 tons of relief supplies, including medical equipment, to many of the affected villages. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies set up a field hospital to treat the most seriously wounded in Bhuj.

However, relief organizations realized that much more was needed to prepare the country should another disaster occur. In cooperation with the Federation and the Indian Red Cross, the American Red Cross is pitching in to improve health services in Gujarat.

"The health system in Gujarat was weak in community-based public health initiatives even before the quake. Much needless death and suffering occurred because the people were not taught simple live-saving measures," Dr. Kelly said. To create a grassroots health program, the American Red Cross is working with the Indian Red Cross to train a select group of residents to become First Aid instructors. Then, under the supervision of the Red Cross, the new instructors will train community volunteers. By the end of the three-year program, there will be 150 instructors and 3,000 Indian Red Cross volunteers who know First Aid in 3,000 villages.

In addition to the First Aid program, the American Red Cross is working to decrease infant, childhood and maternal mortality rates by training health workers to provide safe deliveries and by promoting immunization campaigns for children.

The Red Cross also is focusing on helping villages get access to clean water, another essential element for good health. An arid state, Gujarat had been suffering a drought prior to the earthquake that devastated infrastructures. "Gujarat has been in the grips of drought for years, and the need for water was exacerbated by the earthquake. There was damage to water gathering and water management facilities," said Mark Preslan, who overseas American Red Cross programs in India.

Hundreds of people remain homeless.

The American Red Cross is remedying the situation by repairing small dams in streambeds which create reservoirs where rainwater can gather. In addition, health workers are teaching villagers about the importance of clean water in promoting good health.

Psycho-Social Support Helps India Heal

Marcia Kovach, an American Red Cross psycho-social delegate in Gujarat, is astounded by the loss surrounding her: ruins of buildings that seem to have become a permanent part of the landscape, hundreds of people in shelters and still struggling with injuries or unemployment as a result of the quake. However she is more astounded by the resilience of the Indian people.

"You just see piles and piles of rubble. They only moved it in order to get around it," she said. "The devastation is so remarkable, I don't know how they are going to get rid of that debris and yet in the face of all that, they still are going on."

Yet Kovach has seen many people who are still suffering through emotional turmoil as a result of the tragedy. "Almost everyone has a story," said Kovach, referring to the thousands of people who lost loved ones under collapsed buildings. Others have anxieties over the ongoing aftershocks, or may be experiencing low self esteem because the quake made them unable to work, she added.

The American Red Cross and the Indian Red Cross are leading a consortium of relief organizations to find and bring mental health help to those still struggling over their losses. When a member of the consortium finds a village in need of support, the Red Cross helps to organize a clinic where people can come to talk to a counselor or psychologist about their problems.

The wreckage left from the quake has become a part of Gujarat's landscape.

The American Red Cross also is helping the Indian Red Cross develop a psycho-social program of its own. This program will allow the national society to provide mental health support to disaster victims and volunteers responding to future disasters.

The Red Cross service is desperately needed in India, particularly in the quake-ravaged area, Kovach said. "There was no mental health infrastructure in Bhuj. There were only two psychologists in the entire area," she said.

However following last year's quake, there is a growing awareness of the effects of disasters on people, Kovach said, adding that Gujarat residents are coming together to support one another through community events.

"The community has done most of what needs to be done [to help people heal]," she said. "People are pulling through and the Red Cross is going to find those people who still need our help."