One month on from the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal, more than 2.8 million people are without adequate shelter as monsoon season approaches.
More than 5.5 million people were affected by the huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 and the second 7.3 magnitude quake that followed on May 12. Many are still sleeping in the open air or in tents as their homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and they fear continued aftershocks.
Medair’s priority remains people spread across remote, mountain villages in Sindhupalchowk district who felt the full impact of both quakes and remain isolated from help as monsoon season approaches.
“We need to get shelter materials to people living in remote areas as quickly as possible before monsoon season starts in a few weeks”, said Joel Kaiser, Medair’s Emergency Response Team Leader in Kathmandu. “Landslides will be more frequent, making the mountain slopes dangerous and villages even harder to reach than they are now.
“Aftershocks continue to hinder our efforts and cause visible distress for people who have experienced both quakes. People are still sleeping in the open because they are too afraid of new tremors to go back into their damaged houses. However, the land they are camping on will become unstable and saturated with rain when the monsoons start, and they willno longer be able to remain outside.”
Working closely with its partner Mission East Nepal, Medair has reached at least 15,000 people in Nepal, supporting the urgent needs of earthquake-affected families in the hardest hit areas of Sindhupalchowk district.
"I'm very impressed by the resilience of the Nepali people,” added Joel. “They show a great deal of solidarity to help each other and cope with the crisis.”
Medair’s Emergency Response Team is responding to people’s shelter, health, and hygiene needs, providing essential household and shelter relief items, including tarpaulins, rope, jerry cans, mugs, water purification chemicals and soap, as well as emergency health kits to the region.
For media
Interviews, photos, and stories are available upon request. For interviews from Nepal, please contact Wendy van Amerongen, Medair’s Communication Officer comms-npl@medair.org +977 98 03 45 69 85
For more information from Medair’s HQ in Switzerland, please contact Abigail Woodcock, Press Relations Officer (English) abigail.woodcock@medair.org +41 (0)21 694 84 72 or +41 (0)78 635 30 95
Medair helps people in devastated communities around the world survive crises, recover with dignity, and develop the skills they need to build a better future.
Medair is a member of the Integral Alliance, a global alliance of Christian relief and development agencies.
Medair’s Nepal response is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NL), Läkarmissionen (SE), Government of Lichtenstein, ERIKS Development Partner (SE), Mission Aviation Fellowship (SE), EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, and generous private donors.
This press release was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
All figures according to the World Health Organisation's Nepal Earthquake 2015 Situation Report No.17