0 . MAJOR CHANGES SINCE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE HIP
Cyclone “Phailin” made landfall on the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on 12 October, 2013. Winds of over 220km/hour and very heavy rainfall affected more than 17 600 villages and over 12 000 000 people; 650 000 hectares of cropland and close to 380 000 houses were damaged1. The most vulnerable segments of the society were disproportionately impacted because of the cheaper and lighter building materials used, which did not withstand the high winds and flooding. These communities also tend to live in riskier locations, exposed to the force of the cyclone and flood waters; at least 50% of the houses built in the proximity of shores were washed away by the tidal storm surge.
The government had put in place robust preparedness measures, which prevented massive loss of life. The government is also distributing emergency relief packages to affected households, but the magnitude of the emergency and early recovery needs calls for external assistance to be provided to the most vulnerable people, to complement the immediate aid efforts of the local responders. Hence the European Commission's Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG ECHO) has allocated EUR 3 000 000 for immediate and early recovery assistance for the most vulnerable victims of cyclone “Phailin".
Of particular concern is the damage to livelihood opportunities. To help the most affected and vulnerable people's survival until the next crop and improve their resilience to future disasters, food assistance/livelihood recovery support is needed, until the next crop can be planted and reaped. Fishing communities have lost assets that are indispensable for their trade and need assistance to replace them. The most vulnerable households need assistance to rebuild their shelter; to improve their resilience to future disasters, DRR2 features shall be incorporated in all works. Basic health, including water/sanitation and nutrition, are also matters of concern. Protection issues shall be taken into consideration in all operations.