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Ensure safe housing for Sidr-affected people

Says Oxfam

Staff Correspondent
Oxfam International urged (lie government and the international conununitv to implement a com prehensive plan to ensure sate and adequate housing lor the people affected by the cyclone Sidr last year.
'With time runningout before the start of the monsoon rains, a particularly urgent need is the launch of a major awareness raising campaign on safer building techniques." said a study report of Oxfam International released yesterday.
The launching of the report styled Rethinking disasters: Why death and destruction is not nature’s fault but human failure' was jointly organised by Oxfam GB, Bangladesh and the Department of Geography & Environment of Dhaka University at Cirdap auditorium in the capital
Pro! DrAQM Mahbub presented the overview of the report.
Most of the families who are now rebuilding their homes following the cyclone Sidr have not received any support and training to make them more resilient to the next cy clone or storm surge, die report noted.
"What is more worrying is the fact that more than 3.2 lakh families do not have the means to rebuild at all without external assistance and so far only one-fifth of them have been promised aid." it said
The report lauded the risk reduction measures taken by the govem-m ' such as creation of early want in .cm. cyclone and flood shel-t ters and the raising of home-
which saved thousands of - and livelihoods.
Mating that South Asia loses up six percent of its GDP to disasters innually, the Oxfam report said rich □untries of the world should pro-ide at least 0.7 percent of their gross national income in international
aid to improve public education and health and water sanitation systems.
Speaking at the bundling cere mony, Oxfam Bangladesh Country' Programme Manager Heather Blackwell said Each new disaMei deepens poor people's vulnetabili ties and slows development
The right policies and preparations can save lives and money, she said, adding that experiences show that preparedness costs a fraction ot what a disaster response can cost.
Speaking as the chief guest, Food and Disaster Management Adviser Dr AMM Shawkat Ali said over five lakh people in the Sidr-affected southwestern region have received house building grants
We are giving priority to building houses lor those who did not have any houses," he said, adding that the country needs to prepare a roadmap involving experts in this field to reduce disaster risks
B a n g I a d e s h I c o n o m i c Association President Dr Qazi kholiquzzaman Ahmad said pre paredness can reduce the impacts ol natural disasters.
The government in collaboration with other national and interna tional organisations should create a large fund to minimise the impacts of natural c alamities, he added.
Disaster Management Bureau Director General KH Masud Sidiqui and Oxfam GB's Programme Manager Farid I lasanAhmed also spoke.