Since April 2020, NYF has launched effective emergency programs in Nepal to fight COVID-19. We served 5,311 free meals and distributed over 5,061 kg of vitamin-packed "super flour." Our Access to Education program opened 80 school centers and provided education to over 8,000 students. Our emergency women's home sheltered 38 people, and our COVID Isolation Center is still providing services to infected patients. The crisis isn't over yet, and our responses are adapting as the situation unfolds.
In late April 2021, Nepal faced a second major coronavirus surge and Kathmandu Valley went into another government-mandated lockdown. Emergency rooms and hospital beds were full and public schools closed once again. Loss of relatives, family members, income, and work are hitting communities hard as they grapple with the ongoing pandemic and its economic impacts. NYF is expanding our COVID-19 emergency response to be able to support wider communities in Nepal.
With the COVID-19 situation changing daily in Nepal, NYF's response to the crisis must be varied and flexible. Our staff is navigating this by adjusting existing programs to keep community members safe and continuing to provide pandemic-proof humanitarian aid. We are currently providing isolation services to COVID-positive patients and distributing nutrient-rich packets of Lito to families, children, homes for the elderly, and free food distribution points in Kathmandu.
NYF's COVID relief fund has already provided so much support to those impacted by the pandemic - and we are determined to continue responding with new and/or existing emergency programs. By providing communities with this loving support, children, families, and individuals in Nepal will be able to overcome this global pandemic with strength and resilience.
