World Vision Nepal Earthquake Response

Nepal’s harsh winter weather puts more than 3 million children under age 5 at risk of disease or death, says the U.N. children’s agency. November through February are the critical months.

Parents of young children whose families were affected by last year’s earthquakes tell World Vision staff they are struggling to meet their children’s needs.

“I did not have enough money to buy warm clothes to protect my baby from winter illness,” says 28-year-old Kabita. Kabita received a winter kit of baby supplies from World Vision. The kit contains a warm hat, gloves, socks, a jacket, a sleeping bag, and diapers.

Masini, 62, received the winter kit for her 6-month-old grandson. “We are living in the temporary shelter made of old iron sheets, which gets very cold during the night,” she says. “This is making my grandson fall sick very frequently.”

Internal unrest and disputes along Nepal‘s border with India have led to shortages of food, medicines, vaccines, and fuel for heating and cooking.

About 400,000 people who survived last year’s earthquakes in Nepal now need emergency assistance to survive the brutal winter weather, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

World Vision has provided aid to more than 460,000 individuals affected by the Nepal earthquake and distributed more than 4,019 winter supplies kits to affected families.

Family winterization kits include jackets, hats, and socks for adults and children, as well as wool blankets, hot water bottles, and a duffle bag. Women also receive a woolen shawl and sari.

World Vision's other response activities included:

• Distribution of 30,588 tarps, 277 tents, 1,087 kitchen kits, 125,168 CGI Sheets, 27,829 blankets, 26,540 Sleeping Mats, 12,500 Hygiene Kits, 12,663 Buckets, 21,295 Mosquito nets, 19,171 Solar Lamps, 21,896 Jerry cans, 8,682,993 Aqua tabs, 1,663 water purifying bags and food items for 1,607 families.
• 54 Temporary Learning Centers have been functional (8,214 children have been attending), with 12 emergency toilets.
• 31,552 families have benefited through multi-purpose cash transfers.
• Additionally; 89 Water Systems have been renovated allowing more than 3,918 households to access potable drinking water, 2828 household toilets have been constructed, 479 tents have been distributed to health workers including community hygiene promotors, 766 baby hygiene kits, 400 clean delivery kits have been distributed and, 21 Women, Adolescent and Young Child Spaces (WAYCS) have been established (619 women have been attending).
• 4019 family winterization kits and 951 baby winterization kits have been distributed. Additionally 50 Temporary Learning Centers have been upgraded to meet the winterization need, 1 Health post in Gorkha district has been repaired and medical equipment has been distributed to 5 health institution which will benefit more than 60,000 people living in their catchment area.

Links:

• See World Vision's Temporary Learning Centers