By Dylan Quinnell
Landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains are bringing new challenges to the earthquake relief effort in Nepal and have already claimed lives, aid agency CARE warns.
The first major earthquake, on 25 April, destroyed or damaged almost 800,000 homes and killed over 8,500 people, leaving hundreds of thousands more needing emergency support.
CARE has provided more than 90,000 people with food, emergency shelter, household goods and hygiene items, including Australian Government relief supplies.
Now with the onset of the monsoon season, it has become increasingly difficult to distribute life-saving relief supplies.
“The heavy monsoon rains have severely damaged already poor roads and caused landslides in many areas. This has made life even more difficult for earthquake survivors and has made access impossible in many places,” said Lex Kassenberg, CARE Nepal Country Director.
“In some cases our staff have had to hike for several days to reach communities that need help.
“We know from experience that the road to recovery from a disaster like this is long but it has been great to see the resilience and community spirit of the Nepali people,” Mr Kassenberg said.
Three months on from the deadly earthquake, CARE is doing more work to distribute building materials that are in short supply.
“In addition to providing shelter kits, we are also distributing building supplies like corrugated iron sheeting that can be used for roofs,” Mr Kassenberg said.
Pregnant women and new mothers – who have been living in temporary shelters without proper access to healthcare and food – are at particular risk. It is estimated that 14,000 women give birth in Nepal every month and 126,000 pregnant women were affected by the earthquake.
To assist them, CARE is distributing health kits that include essential medicines and supplies for birthing attendants to handle medical complications during delivery. CARE will also continue a long-term project, which started prior to the earthquake, to set up reproductive health clinics in communities with limited access to medical care.
For more information or to arrange interviews with CARE aid workers in Nepal and Australia, contact Dylan Quinnell (0412 449 691) or Sam Bolitho (0412 567 777)
