1. Situation Overview
On April 25th 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 7.5 Richter scale struck Nepal causing a level of devastation that had not been experienced in the country for at least 80 years. Millions of people have been affected by the disaster, with 8,219 people confirmed dead and over 20,000 more injured. The epicentre of the earthquake was located 77km northwest of Kathmandu, in the Ghorka district.
A second earthquake, measuring 7.3 magnitude, struck Nepal on May 12th 2015. The epicentre was in Dholaka District, 18 KM southeast of Kodari (Sindhupalchowk District)- an area already affected by the 25 April quake. The second earthquake was followed by several aftershocks, including a 5.6 magnitude tremor and a 6.3 magnitude tremor in Dholaka District. Strong aftershocks continue to be felt. Many areas around the epicentre are particularly susceptible to landslides.
On 13 of May 2015, ACTED teams conducted a KII assessment with displaced community representatives in Swakhu village within Alambu VDC in Dholaka District, in the epicenter of the earthquake of 7.3 magnitude.
The population of the settlement is approximately 500 inhabitants, according to the Key Informants (KI) interviewed.
While no people died during the 25th April and 13th May earthquakes, 6 persons were injured and no medical assistance, medicine or facilities are available. The first earthquake left 65% of the population without shelter and following the second one, all houses were completely destroyed, ie collapsed or damaged up to a non-livable level. Flattened to the ground, the houses buried underneath all the food stock and NFIs, from clothes to kitchen tools. The community infrastructure was destroyed also, together with the only shop that was serving the community.
For the past 24 days, the majority of the population has been sleeping outside, very few of them having any sort of improvised roofing over their head. The only food left available is composed of biscuits and noodles that will finish in less than a week.
All water sources were destroyed by the second earthquake, the turbid water river being the only solution left. The individual sanitation facilities, available before the earthquakes are now destroyed, resulting in open defection practices.
The village has not received any assistance yet although it was severely affected by the 25th April earthquake and completely destroyed by the second one.
The population is in dire need of food, shelter, WASH assistance and community infrastructure rehabilitation.
In addition to the interviews conducted with KI in Swakhu village, based on visual observation, Alumpu village, located on the other side of the valley, is facing the same level of destruction.
Considering the gravity of the destruction and the data collected while hovering the area, it can be assumed that the VDCs surrounding the epicenter of the earthquake were just as severely damaged.