Itahari, August 26:

The distribution of relief among victims of the Koshi flood in Sunsari is being done in an unprofessional and non-transparent manner, complain the victims.

Irregular distribution of relief and lack of proper coordination among the authorities involved in rescue and mismanagement in collecting and storing relief materials have also hampered distribution.

With the mismanaged distribution, reports have also come of looting of the collected relief items. Last evening, a gang of looters robbed the relief items donated by a group led by CA member Sabita Yadav from Laukahi bazaar.

Yadav said the group looted 33 sacks of rice and four sacks of bhujiya. However, police managed to recover 13 sacks of rice from the looters.

Similarly, relief items meant for the flood victims of Paschim Kusaha were looted from Sunsari’s Madhuwan on Sunday, the victims said.

The flood-hit accused the administration of being inept to provide security to the donor organisations and relief items they had provided.

Until now the Sunsari District Natural Disaster Relief and Rescue Committee has collected 40,986 kg of rice, 4,797 kg of pulses, 703 litres of oil, 2,9045 kg of beaten rice, 6,158 kg of bhujiya, 802 kg of salt, 1,702 sets of plastic tents, 1,295 pieces of blankets, 1,056 pieces of mattresses, 1,070 units of buckets, 434 cartoons of biscuits, 630 cartoons of noodles, 510 kg of onion, 5,344 kg of potato, 1,050 kg of gram and 4,792 pieces of soaps. Besides this, Rs 2,665,661 has also been collected, Sunsari CDO Durga Prasad Bhandari said.

While displaced people living in the district headquarters have been provided with relief, the flood victims sheltering in rural areas complained that they were yet to get sufficient relief.

“We have not got enough food except little beaten rice and bhujiya. I heard that cooked rice is being distributed in the district headquarters,” said a flood victim, Nabina Mandal, who is taking shelter in a school.

According to the government report, 19,383 displaced have been sheltering in 27 camps. Due to the lack of proper treatment and nutritious food, children, elderly and nursing mothers have been hit hard.

“We have not got healthy food. Does medicine satiate our hunger?” questioned a nursing mother, Sabina Khatun.

Meanwhile, Sunsari Local Development Officer Guru Subedi claimed that the distribution of relief had been eased and managed properly. He said the displaced have undergone regular treatment.

Following the complaints, the disaster rescue committee said it would mobilise six officers to ensure proper relief distribution.