minutes of 18th August meeting

EMERGENCY FOLLOWS UP MEETING OF SPHERE INDIA GROUP ON 18THAUGUST, 06 FOR DISCUSSION ON CURRENT FLOOD: Meeting minutes

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Date: 18th August 2006 (Friday)
Venue: Conference room, Care India, 27- Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi-110051
Duration: 2 hours ( 16.30 to 18.30 hrs )
Host: Mr. Balaji Singh
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Members present:
Mr. N. M. Prusty –Chairperson, Sphere India
Mr.Balaji Singh –Care India
Mr. Anshu Sharma – Seeds India
Ms. Shakuntala Suhag – UNDMT
Mr. Ramesh Babu – EFICOR
Mr. Denis De Poerck - SCF UK
Mr. Vetury Chiranjeevi - Care India
Mr. Arjun Khajuria – Sphere –URS Focal Person
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Mr Balaji Singh, briefed on Care India’s response in Gujarat:
- About 3500 households have been provided with dry ration kits
- The composition of dry ration kits and quantity adheres to Sphere standards.
- This intervention would continue for 10 days and consist of about 80 tractor days.
- The targeted groups are migrant laborers living in unauthorized slums.
- Care is distributing relief through its local partners- Janpath, CHF and Mahila Seva Housing Trust.
- CRS, Oxfam, ActionAid, and Care India are part of interagency group which has coordinated a joint assessment.
- The Gujarat joint assessment report was shared with members.

Mr. Denis De Poerck, briefed on SCF UK’s response:
- Sharing the situation report on East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh ( earlier the same was forwarded my email to other members)
- SCF UK’s response in Ladakh which included distribution of the following particularly in 8 villages ( with estimation of about 8000 families affected)
· 200 tents
· 400 blankets
· 200 plastic sheets
· Tarpaulin sheets distributed
· Tools to aid rescue and repair including pick axes, hammers, crowbars and shovels
· Utensil sets ( Mrr Denis has forwarded the Ladakh situation report via e-mail to members prior to the meeting.
Mr M. Ramesh Babu shared EFICOR’s response in A.P, Gujarat and Orissa:
- 4000 families were distributed with dry ration in the Bhadrachalam region of A.P
- Dry ration support will be provided for 15 days to the targeted groups.
- 400 households have been provided with dry ration in Surat.(15 days long)
- Also 5000 households would be provided with non-food material in Surat.
- In Orissa about 2300 households have been provided with dry ration in the Malkangiri region of Orissa.
- The composition and quality of dry ration provided in the three states have been in line with the Sphere standards.
Ms. Shankuntala Suhag suggested that Unicef had received various health and nutrition request in the flood affected states.
Mr Anshu Sharma, briefed the members on URS developments:
- A directory of contact persons in the three URS states ( Gujarat, Andra Pradesh and Orissa) including a directory of URS working group is being developed and will be shared with members in the next meeting for their inputs before finalization.
- Working group intends to develop maps of the disaster affected regions and INGO mapping of working regions and activities using GIS.
- Mechanism are being developed to increase inter-agency , inter-organization and governmental information sharing in disasters, but would require cooperation from Sphere member both at national and state level.
- Creating a Sphere-URS website if the current Sphere India website cant be accessed.
- Create a common mailing group and upload key information on the designated web-portal.



Subsequently the following points were discussed and agreed upon:
- Need to streamline communications of Sphere India through a web-portal.
- New sphere person( Arjun Khajuria) needs to contact people in Oxfam GB, Ms Shakuntala to provide assistance.
- Mr. Prusty would email all Sphere members including contact persons at state –level introducing the new Sphere-URS contact person.
- Sphere-URS would start the compilation of donor information i.e. donor meetings and interactions with Sphere members, their requirements.
- Sphere-URS should also look into the way TNTRC functions and manages.
- Mr.Anshu Sharma would contact Mr.Vivek to gain assess to the Sphere India website.
- The members would be given more notice period for a Sphere meeting to be held in future.
- Next Sphere members meeting to be held on the 23rd of August (Wednesday) 2006, at 16.30 hrs at Care India Office.

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