Oxfam demands shelter for riot-hit before winter

GUWAHATI: With winter approaching, the NGO, Oxfam India on Friday said the government should lay down a programme to provide adequate shelter to the violence-affected people living in various relief camps Bodoland Territorial Areas District (BTAD).
Oxfam India chief executive officer Nisha Agrawal said the humanitarian needs of the relief camp inmates should be urgently dealt with in the next few months before winter.
"The next few months will be critical in ensuring shelter and livelihood for the people affected by the violence. People in relief camps are eager to go home, but there is still a feeling of uncertainty in terms of security and shelter. The government should lay down its programme for ensuring security and shelter the riot-hit people before winter sets in," Nisha said.
Oxfam India has been involved in providing humanitarian assistance in at least 30 camps in violence-affected Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.
She said some people preferred to stay back in relief camps for food as they may not be able to get any food once they returned to their houses. "Many do not want to leave the relief camps for food. They know that they may not get food at their homes as they have lost their livelihoods or their lands are left uncultivated," Nisha added.
She suggested that public distribution system should be made available to all the affected people living in camps. "Public distribution system should be made open to everybody in relief camps at least till the next cropping season," she said.
The NGO is also engaged in disaster risk management and providing humanitarian aid to people affected by floods in Morigaon and Sonitpur districts.