This report highlights the key UNICEF C4D interventions during the response phase of the 2015 earthquakes. It explains how UNICEF worked at the national and local level with key stakeholders to meet the information and communication needs of affected families and communities.
FOREWORD
The mega-earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May 2015 were the biggest disasters to hit the country in a very long time. Thousands of people were severely affected while nearly 9,000 lost their lives. UNICEF worked closely with the Government of Nepal and humanitarian partners in the areas of health; nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene; child protection; education; social protection and communication for development to fulfil the urgent needs of women and children.
Communication for Development (C4D) is a critical component of any development program. Humanitarian situations are no different. As a response to the Nepal earthquake, the UNICEF C4D program used various communication channels to promote dialogue with affected populations around life-saving messages and critical information.To ensure accountability to affected populations, it also provided them with platforms to voice their concerns, provide feedback on the response to duty bearers and also receive psycho – social counselling to help deal with their situation.
Partnerships are key to making a lasting difference in the lives of children and women. UNICEF joined hands with the government, as well as national and local partners to reach communities with critical information and life-saving messages as well as to get feedback from them on their needs and concerns. UNICEF successfully brought partners together under the Communicating with affected Communities Working group (CWC) to better coordinate communication efforts.
UNICEF partnered with the national broadcaster – Radio Nepal to air radio programmes for earthquake affected populations. These programs helped ensure accountability to affected populations by providing them with a channel to give feedback to humanitarian responders on their concerns and needs as well as much required, on – air psychosocial counselling to help people get over their trauma.Intensive messaging through Nepal’s widespread network of community radio stations coupled with community mobilization through youth volunteers and entertainment- education activities ensured that affected populations had access to critical and life-saving information.
UNICEF supported the restoration and rehabilitation of vital communication infrastructure. Many community radio stations, which are a very important source of information for people in Nepal were damaged due to the earthquake. UNICEF provided many of these stations with support in the form of tents and broadcasting equipment to help them resume broadcasting. UNICEF is also engaged in building their capacity to carry out programming on helping communities prepare and respond to future emergencies.
The C4D program also played an important role in promoting UNICEF flagships during the emergency such as the Back to School Campaign, Cash Transfer Scheme and the Nutrition week.