Nepal Earthquake Relief and Recovery

On Tuesday May 12 Nepal was struck by the second major earthquake in less than three weeks.

The original earthquake killed more than 8,000 people and injured many thousands more. Millions of survivors were already in need of relief when the second earthquake struck.

This second earthquake caused more deaths, injuries and property damage in areas already devastated by the initial disaster.

Thanks to your incredible generosity we’ve already helped 785 earthquake survivors and are helping more with every day that passes.

We originally arrived in Nepal with 120 kg of shelter materials, which were immediately transported to Arukharka (Area 2) in Nuwakot district.

In Arukharka these materials were distributed to 110 families. In total 85 families received tarps and 25 families received tents. These tarpaulins and tents are now providing emergency shelter for around 550 people.

Our materials met the urgent need for shelter in the community and we’ll soon be helping families in Arukharka further by providing food aid.

There are 10 families in the community who lost their food stores in the first earthquake.  These stores of rice and lentils were contaminated by toxic dust from the rubble, or are still buried inside collapsed or damaged buildings.

Affected families are being supported by their neighbours for now, but overall food supply is very limited and these families urgently need food aid in order to survive until September, when their next crops will be ready.

We’ll be delivering the first of this food aid to Arukharka in the coming days.

With these immediate needs met in Arukharka we’ve also turned our attention to other communities that still need relief.

For example, we’ve provided tents to 21 families in Tukucha Nala, in Kabhrepalanchok district, southeast of Kathmandu. These tents are now being used as shelter by approximately 105 earthquake survivors.

We’ve also begun working with the Village Development Committee (VDC) in Tukucha Nala by providing Shelter Repair Kits to families identified by the VDC.

Many families are already constructing frames for new shelters using bamboo, which is locally prevalent and easily sourced. However, survivors are limited to what other materials they can salvage from their homes.

In response we’re now preparing and distributing Shelter Repair Kits that include materials such as roofing sheets and fixings. These kits are allowing families to complete their own shelters by providing them with the needed materials.

By supporting the existing efforts of survivors we’re also building their confidence and ability to take charge of their own recovery. This will make them more resilient in the long-term.

Our first 26 kits were distributed on May 14, 2015, and were provided to families in Area 5 of Tukucha.  These families represent around 130 people, which means that we’ve now already helped 785 earthquake survivors.

We've also committed to providing a further 25 kits to families in Area 4 of Tukucha. These additional kits will be provided in the coming days.

We are aiming to provide at least another 85 shelter repair kits in Tukucha, and many more in other communities too.

However, we urgently need more funds to make this work possible.

The contents of our kits currently cost around $100 per family. This means that for $20 you can put a roof over one person’s head.

The monsoon season is fast approaching so please consider donating today if you can.

As always, if you ever have any questions about how we’re using your donation, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.