Key Figures
8,898 deaths 602,257 houses fully damaged 285,099 houses partially damaged (NEOC/MoHA 29/07/2015)
Weekly highlights
While the response to earthquake-affected populations remains the top priority, the need for winterisation planning has been highlighted by humanitarian agencies as many of those who lost their houses will be unable to rebuild shelters for winter and temporary shelters remain inadequate. About 150,000 people reside in areas where the average January temperature is 5 degrees C or below. The most vulnerable to winter conditions may not be residing in the coldest areas and further vulnerability analysis, incorporating gap analysis of the response to date and coping mechanisms, is ongoing.
Due to a lack of additional funding, the UN Humanitarian Air Services is expecting a budget shortfall, which would lead to a stop to air support for the delivery of aid and transport of humanitarian personnel at the end of August. Hard-to-reach areas will be particularly affected as the monsoon rains have led to a significant decrease in road access to these areas.
According to a 30 July publication, the April and May earthquakes did not release the accumulated stress on the fault edges, although as a result, the Kathmandu Valley bedrock shifted 1.3 m south and upwards by 50 cm. Experts developed three potential scenarios, two of which result in a major earthquake in the Lesser Himalaya, also known as the Mahabharata Range. While it is not possible to predict the next major earthquake, experts recommend that the earthquake-affected region is built back better, and that settlements throughout western Nepal are retrofitted.
According to the media, the Government reported that 90 people have been killed, 38 missing, and 48 injured as a result of monsoon-related hazards this year. In addition, 117 houses, nine bridges, and one school have been destroyed. The vast majority of casualties occurred in two major events: the Kaski landslides last week and the Taplejung landslide in June. Between 1983 and 2013, an average of 269 deaths due to landslides and floods have occurred. Rainfall has been below average this year, however the risk of landslides is expected to rise in August as soil becomes increasingly saturated by rainfall