Lakshmi Kothaneth
@lakshmioman
With the Ministry of Defence clearing roads, the teams from the Ministry of Social Development have been able to reach remote areas and even mountainous areas, providing relief and shelter in the cyclone-affected Al Batinah area.
Mashal bin Abdullah al Farsi, representative of the Relief and Shelter at the Ministry of Social Development, said the emergency plans were already in place with higher committee meetings once the weather alert was on. The initial focus was on Muscat as the rains began there, and immediately after that to North Al Batinah after the cyclone Shaheen made a landfall.
Earlier, the National Committee for Emergency Management said that power has been restored to more than 90 per cent of the households in North and South Al Batinah, whereas 98 per cent of the telecommunications services were restored, fuel stations 99 per cent, paved roads 89 per cent and unpaved roads 57 per cent.
“As the cyclone has cleared out, we are here in North Al Batinah to provide relief and shelter for all people. We visited homes to understand everything they have gone through,” said Mashal.
One of the first steps the teams took was to move people to the schools which were designated as makeshift shelters. Around 5,200 nationals and residents were provided accommodation, food and water.
“Once the cyclone hit, there was nothing — no electricity or water to drink other than a high level of flood water. Once the Ministry of Defence cleared roads, we could reach even to inaccessible places,” said Mashal.
While most families have gone back to their homes, 300 people continue to live at the shelters. Meanwhile, the public has been pouring out to North Al Batinah to contribute in their own way and provide services.
“If people like to participate in the recovery process, they can register on the website of Oman Charitable Organisation. They can specify which areas they would like to contribute to or assist. We have made Al Suwaiq and Al Khabourah as sectors”.
We have arranged camps where lunch is provided for almost 300 people daily, and has facilities to take rest. There are also guides who can assist the volunteers. If people want to donate cash or contribute towards electronic household appliances, they can do so through the website the same website. “All we want to say to the people is — don’t panic, we are working, we will do our best and you are safe,” said Mashal.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development began field visits to assess and count the affected houses, while affected families continued to receive an amount of RO 1,000 as social benefit.
