30 April 2015

It has been a tough few days as news of increasingly desperate circumstances have filtered their way through to the Mondo and HELP teams. Initial reports of villages being totally flattened were verified as the scale of the devastation slowly became clear. In one village, Gunsa, over 50 people have been confirmed dead, at least 15 of those children. In Bhotenamlang there have been around 45 deaths. The list of injured across the valley numbers in the hundreds if not the thousands.

Although there were some initial helicopter flights, most of the villages have not received any outside assistance. In some cases, the schools which we have built have stood the test of the quake and are being used to shelter villagers.

The funds raised in our emergency appeal have been utilised by our country manager, Jimmy Lama, and his team on the ground. Our intimate knowledge of the region has helped to connect villages and disseminate crucial information. In terms of immediate action, amongst other things our team have:
  • sent 8 boxes of medical equipment to the region and an additional two have been taken by helicopter to Shugenche and Gunsa villages.
  • arranged on 30 April for 5 tonnes of food to be taken by two trucks to Helambu. Part of the consignment was made up of 100 bags of rice, 100 bags of beaten rice, tons of noodles, oil, sugar, salt, biscuits and lentils.
  • Tarps, blankets and water flasks are also being collected for transport.
  • HELP have also bought 75 solar panels with batteries and convertors to help resume communication in each village. About 25 of them have already been transported to affected regions.

Our plan for the coming weeks is to:

  • locate tarps or tents to provide shelter;
  • widen the usage of solar power to allow villages to effectively communicate needs and emergencies;
  • helping to clear roads and landslides to allow effective support to reach the valley;
  • continuing to purchase and transport essential supplies including food;
  • collecting phones to allow for effective communication between villages; and
  • helping re-connect water supplies to the villages.

Many thanks to all that have assisted so far in the relief efforts and donated money. We will continue to apply the funds where they are desperately needed and keep you informed of our progress. In the meantime, please spread the message and donate to: https://www.justgiving.com/Mondo-Nepal-Quake

Catch up on all of our blogs on the Nepal Earthquake here.