Nepal hit yet again by 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake

(Updated on 26 October, 4.30pm)

6 Months On

(Updated on 30 June, 12.00pm) 

• World Vision has distributed 24,587 tarps, 4,692 Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI) sheets, 22,919 blankets, 21,036 sleeping mats, 10,833 Hygiene Kits, 9,998 buckets, 18,583 mosquito nets and food items for 1,495 families
• 31 Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) have been established with 2,279 children attending the 31 CFSs.  4 emergency toliets have also been set up.
• 6,468 Solar Lamps, 12,347 Jerry cans, 3,091,500 Aqua tabs have also been distributed.
• 31 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) have been established with 3,306 children attending them, 4 Temporary Learning Centres (TLC) have been established with 521 children have been attending then, as have 4 emergency toilets.

(Updated on 17 June, 12.30pm)

• World Vision has distributed 22,405 tarps, 4,692 Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI) sheets, 2,508 blankets, 9,046 Household kits, 9,856 Hygiene Kits, 8,435 Buckets, 17,300 Mosquito nets and food items for 1,495 families.
• 31 Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) have been established with 2,279 children attending the 31 CFSs.  4 emergency toliets have also been set up.
• 4,909 Solar Lamps, 9,415 Jerry cans and 2,209,050 Aqua tabs have also been distributed.

World Vision is building 54 Temporary Learning Centres (TLC)  (10 in Bhaktapur district, 15 in Sindhupalchok district, 20 in Sindhuli district and 9 in Gorkha district) where over 5,000 children from the ages of 5 to 18 will be supported in their safe return to schooling. TLCs are designed and built for strong and weather resistant in anticipation of the monsoon season which just started.

World Vision will equip TLCs with relevant teaching and learning materials to facilitate the return to education as quickly as possible. Teachers and students both need the tools to enable them to teach and to learn. Student, teacher and classroom kits will be provided, as well as Early Childhood Development (ECD) kits, hygiene kits and dignity kits for adolescent girls. World Vision will ensure that school’s staff receive an orientation to each kit upon distribution as well as an agreed to education cluster guidance on how to use and teach from the kit.

(Updated on 4 June, 5pm)

• World Vision has distributed 16,977 tarps, 4,692 Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI) sheets, 1,800 blankets, 6,718 Household kits, 6,718 Hygiene Kits, 4,877 Buckets, 10,288 Mosquito nets and food items for 1,493 families.
• 22 Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) have been established with1,585 children attending the 22 CFSs.  4 emergency toliets have also been set up.
• 27,360 sheets of CGI have been procured and are en route to Gorkha.
• Schools resumed on the 31st of May 2015, with many children attending class in temporary structures made out of bamboo or in tents. World Vision will be constructing 54 temporary learning spaces to allow students to continue learning safely.

(Updated on 25 May, 2.50pm)

Thanks to your support, World Vision has managed to distribute 6,856 tarps, 4644 CGI sheets, 2972 blankets, 1,144 Household kits, 2,288 Mosquito nets and food items for 864 families; 12 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) have been established, as have 4 emergency toilets. 915 children have been attending the 12 CFSs.

World Vision has been there since the onset of the earthquake and will continue to be there to help the community rebuild.

(Updated on 19 May, 10.50am)

We've just got word from our field staff that all sponsored children and their families are safe and there was no additional harm from this second quake.

World Vision Singapore remains in close communication with our local field staff and we will strive to keep you updated if the situation changes in Sindhuli East ADP. If you would like to speak to someone, please drop us an email at enquiries@worldvision.org.sg or call 6922 0144.

(Updated on 18 May, 11.30am)

With this second quake, World Vision has raised its funding target from the initial USD30 million to USD50 million. Our relief efforts will also be expanded to cover those areas affected by this second quake. The government has reported that 8,567 people have died, 16,808 people are injured; 488,788 houses are reported as fully destroyed and 267,282 partially destroyed. At least 1.7 million children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and those left homeless by the earthquake are particularly vulnerable.

To date, World Vision has distributed 6,201 tarps, 4,644 corrugated galvanised iron roofing sheets, 2,972 blankets, 895 Household kits, 1,790 Mosquito nets and food items for 864 families. 12 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) have been established and providing psychosocial support service in Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Sindhuli districts with a total of 915 children benefitting. An additional 3 CFS will be established. Our local staff is still in the midst of assessing the damages and accounting for the children in Sindhuli East ADP. World Vision Singapore remains in close communication with our local field staff and we will strive to keep you updated if the situation changes in Sindhuli East ADP.

(Updated on 13 May, 12 noon)

World Vision is working to locate staff and assess potential impacts to already displaced children and communities following a powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake which struck yesterday near Namche Bazar. Reports of new deaths and injuries are being confirmed. "We felt a very strong aftershock. I could see in the eyes of the people who experienced the first quake - they were just terrified. We all managed to get outside to safety." shares Jimmy Nadapdap, World Vision Nepal Earthquake Response Manager. World Vision's Nepal Earthquake Emergency Response has reached at least 30,000 people to date -- supporting the urgent needs of earthquake-affected families in the hardest-hit areas of Gorkha, Lamjung, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk and Kathmandu valley in the aftermath of the 7.8 earthquake on April 25. Aftershocks continue to hinder relief efforts and create further anxiety for already distressed earthquake-affected children and communities.

(Updated on 11 May, 5.30pm)

Transportation of the relief supplies is still a major challenge but thankfully World Vision has managed to reach 19,780 beneficiaries to date. 2,019 tarps, 4,644 Corrugated Galvanised Iron (CGI )sheet, 600 blanket, and food items for 763 families have been distributed since and 10 Child-Friendly Space (CFS)s have been established. 4,000 sleeping mats, 500 hygiene kits, 5,700 blankets were also dispatched to Gorkha district, one of the worst hit regions, today.

(Updated on 6 May, 5.45pm)

To date, World Vision has reached some 15,800 beneficiaries and distributed 2,019 tarps, 440 corrugated galvanised iron roofing sheets and 600 blankets. Food items were also distributed to 370 families. 10 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) have been established and will be providing psychosocial support service in Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kathmandu districts. We're targeting to establish an additional 5 CFS. Relief activities is still being continued in the communities of Gorkha, Lamjung, Sindhuli, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu districts. With 668 schools in the severely affected districts being completely destroyed and another 1,819 schools being partially damaged, World Vision is also planning to establish temporary learning centres.

(Updated on 4 May, 11.45am)

With more than 7000 deaths reported and many more injured and made homeless by the earthquake, shelter is of the utmost importance. Many are also choosing to sleep out in the open because of fears of aftershocks bringing down their damaged homes. On 1 May, World Vision distributed blankets in Changunarayan and that will help keep them warm in the nights. 

7 Child-Friendly Space (CFS) have also been set up, with 1 in a government camp in Kathmandu. CFS provide children with a safe place to play, participate in activities and experience healing from trauma they’ve experienced. They also allow children to return to healthy routines and experience a sense of normalcy again. As of 3 May 2015, 10,095 people have been reached, but the transport and logistics of relief supplies is major challenge.

(Updated on 30 April, 11.45am)

Children and families are sleeping in makeshift tents on open grounds, fearing the tremors and aftershocks. This puts children at a huge risk to their protection and health. The rains are making the situation even more difficult for children.

(Updated on 28 April, 11.30am)

The current death toll has surpassed 4,000, with more than 6,500 people injured. Both numbers are expected to rise further as rescue efforts continues. The most affected areas are Gorkha, Lamjung, Bakthapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu districts. There are currently 16 relief camps in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur. Transportation into and within Nepal remains challenging for the flow of relief items and rescue effort. In addition, rain is predicted throughout the next three days and people will need shelter. Visibility and access is expected to be impaired, hampering search and rescue efforts and this will impact affected children and communities even more.

(Updated on 27 April, 11.30am)

We would like to assure you that all sponsored children and their families are safe. The local government alongside World Vision and other local partners will be working together to provide assistance to the affected children and families.

World Vision Singapore remains in close communication with our local field staff and we will strive to keep you updated if the situation changes in Sindhuli East ADP. World Vision relief response will target an initial 100,000 people to address their immediate needs of food, water, shelter, medical supplies and other non-food items. Assessment teams are already currently assessing the needs in those hardest-hit areas. The priority districts are Gorkha, Lamjung, Bakthapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu which have been badly affected.

World Vision Relief Priorities

(Updated on 25 April, 10pm)

World Vision is mobilising staff and resources to assist communities impacted by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which hit Nepal today, Saturday April 25th. At this time there are reports of around 700 deaths. Aftershocks are continuing. News from the hardest hit area is slow to emerge – and the death toll is likely to rise. The Gandaki zone where Gorkha district is located has in total 6 districts with a total population of more than 1.5 million people (2011 census). Kathmandu and around Kathmandu (Bakhtapur & Lalitpur district), has a total population of more than 2.5 million people. The total population that may be impacted by this disaster is around 4 million people. India has reported around 20 deaths, as of now, there are no reported impacts to WV projects. Bangladesh is also reporting a number of deaths and injured, plus damage to infrastructure.

Liz Satow, World Vision Country Director for Nepal who is currently on the ground said, "Buildings and walls across Kathmandu have collapsed although it is hard to tell how serious and extensive the damage is. We know that dozens, maybe hundreds, of people have been killed and injured. Many people are too frightened to go into the buildings due to fear they will collapse with aftershocks.  People are very worried and have for a long time feared the big quake."

World Vision Nepal communications specialist Sunjuli Kunwar was at a sporting event, and said her own home was damaged when the tremblor hit. “After the earthquake struck, I rushed to my house as my son was home. Some walls have come down,” she said. “The whole stadium was moving, people started to rush out and couldn’t control their movements. Many fell and hurt themselves,” Sunjuli said.

As night falls, power is down in the capital Kathmandu and in surrounding areas making initial assessments of the scale of destruction and displacement of people difficult to determine. There are serious concerns for communities directly impacted by the earthquake around the epi-centre, especially for children and the most vulnerable people. As with most earthquake-related disasters, the most immediate needs will be potable water, food, household supplies, temporary shelter and protection for children. Disaster management experts from World Vision operations around the region – including in neighbouring India and Bangladesh are on standby to provide relief assistance to the Nepal response.

Alina Shrestha, World Vision Nepal Communications Manager adds, “World Vision is now ensuring the safety of all its staff and will soon be assessing the damage caused by the earthquake so the aid organisation can respond to the needs of affected people, especially the children.” World Vision Singapore is in contact with our local staff in Nepal and will provide updates on our ADP in Sindhuli East by email once we have completed assessment of the impact. Please keep this page bookmarked for updates.

Recognising Nepal’s vulnerability to earthquakes and the need for disaster risk reduction work, World Vision has been implementing Earthquake Preparedness and Reducing Earthquake Risks in Schools Projects in Lalitpur and Rupandehi districts benefitted 65,320 people. World Vision was one of the first agencies to respond and provide long-term response during Koshi floods in August 2008 that affected 50,000 people in Sunsari District.

Disaster Response Fund

World Vision is prepared with pre-positioned supplies and trained relief staff to respond rapidly to any disaster anywhere in the world. We are often one of the first organisations on the ground with life-saving emergency aid, and we stay for the long term to help families recover and rebuild. The Disaster Response Fund helps us rush emergency supplies like life-saving food, clean water, medical supplies, and shelter to survivors. And helps ensure that we have pre-positioned supplies in place to respond to the next disaster.