DEVASTATING EARHQUAKE HITS NEPAL

APRIL –May 2015

ICA lending hand to the Earthquake Victims Across Nepal

Earthquake Relief and Recovery Report

Submitted by: ICA Nepal

Kriti Marg, Koteshwor

Phone: 01-460 2005

www.ica-nepal.org

Second Big Earthquake Hits Nepal

I was preparing this report last Tuesday (12 May) at the ICA Office Koteshwor while the second

big earthquake magnitude of 6.8 Richter scale (according to Nepal National Seismological

Centre while USGS recorded 7.3) hit Nepal. Life has started to return to normalcy and many of

us were carrying out our daily routines in regular manner but the Tuesday’s earthquake shook

everyone and for last few days most of people in Kathmandu are spending day and nights outside

in tents and tarpaulins. The second big earthquake has killed 117 and injured over 2000 people.

Nepal has already been badly devastated by the earthquake hit on 25 April 2015. The impact of

the earthquake is so massive that more than 8000 people are killed, over 16000 injured and

thousands of houses damaged. After the second earthquake, there have been reports of landslides

in different parts of the country which has delayed the rescue and relief operations.

Due to geographical difficulties, though the three weeks have been passed after the earthquake,

still hundreds of people are awaiting the tents or temporary shelter. In a few weeks of now,

monsoon is predicted to start, thus, there is an urgency to focus on rehabilitation and recovery

activities.

Responses undertaken by ICA Nepal so far:

Immediately after the quake ICA Nepal

responded quickly to help community with

relief materials such food supplies,

drinking water and medicines.

We visited the earthquake affected areas, instantly after the earthquake, inside the Kathmandu

valley and assessed the situation. Initially, ICA Nepal helped people of Bhaktapur and Bungmati

with drinking water bottles. We provided

1000 water bottles in the two locations.

While visiting Bungamati, we also visited

Tri Ratna School and learned the damages

caused by the earthquake in the school.

ICA Nepal massively distributed food

supplies to the different earthquake

affected locations. So, far we have

reached to Sindhupalchowk,

Changunarayan, Dhading, Bungamati (Tri

Ratna School), Sangla, Nala, Gorkha with

our food supplies. The food materials we

provided include the set of salt, daal, rice,

nutrella, beaten rice, masala, noodles, biscuits, drinking water along with a bucket, mug, plate

and spoon, tarpaulin, blanket, and medicine (Gorkha). So far we have served 1000 families.

We contacted our local NGO partners (working in the sectors of PWDs) and tried to know about

their status. We managed to help Entire Power for Social Action (EPSA), Disabled Service

Centre (DSC), and Nepal Integrated Blind Association (NIBDA) with basic food supplies. We

are saddened to find the how PWDs are living in pitying situation. The most marginalized people

have been severely affected by the earthquake.

Phase II- Rehabilitating and Rebuilding Activity

While distributing the relief materials, we are continuously working out on our second phase

approach. Gradually, we have started to focus on rehabilitating and rebuilding response to the

ground. As monsoon is approaching it has become urgent need to build a shelter for thousands of

people living in an open space.

Clearing up rubble in Changu Narayan

A group of volunteers from USA and India joined hands with ICA Nepal and local community to

clear up the rubble and debris in Changu Narayan Bhaktapur.

We started with helping an old man (aged 82 years old)

named Mr. Purna B. Tamang to clear up the rubble of his

house which is completely damaged. In coming days, ICA

Nepal will continue to work with local community and

Progressive Women Group in Changunarayan to help the

neediest people to clear up the debris.

Our effort does not end here. ICA Nepal team is taking a step

ahead and building a house for Mr. Tamang in

Changunarayan using Earthbag Technology. The effort is

reinforced by international volunteers from US and India

(Sierra, Randy, Manba, Karthik, Sandesh, Yomri), Dr. Subas

Risal (Pro Park Pvt. Ltd), Progressive Women Groups,

Engineers from Khwapa Engineering College and many

others.

Earthbag Technology

Earthbag homes are houses built using rice bags

filled with soil for the walls. The rice bags are

held in place and strengthened using barbed wire

and covered with plaster or adobe to shed water

and to prevent any degradation from solar

radiation. This construction technique can be used

for emergency shelters, temporary or permanent

housing and barns. It is frequently chosen for

many small-to-medium-sized institutional

structures in the world. Earthbag homes are

claimed to have economic, social, environmental

and logistic benefits.

ICA Nepal Volunteers is currently working on building such house in Changu for 82 years old

man. He is partially blind and living with a married daughter. He does not want to leave his

house (though completely damaged) and go at his daughter’s place for shelter. His daughter

along with her husband and children are also living in a tent. There is no other family members

to take care of him.

ICA Nepal’s Initiation to Rebuild Schools

The 7.9 temblor have not only killed thousands of people but damaged more than 5000 schools.

It has been reported that a large proportion of both private and public schools have fully or

partially destroyed. It appears that earthquake will have long-term consequences in Nepali

education system. As a result of the

earthquake, most of the state-run and

private schools are closed until the

immediate crisis is dealt with. Both the

state-run and private schools have stopped

running their classes as the buildings are

not in a good shape for resumption. In

addition, the houses in the affected villages

have collapsed that resulted in burial of the

children’s books and school uniforms.

Children appear to be still seriously

traumatized. It is highly likely that these

children will develop anxiety and other

psychological disorders.

ICA Nepal Team visited Dr. Iwamura Memorial Hospital located in Bhaktapur and assess the situation. In pic, the new emergency department of hospital has been damaged by the earthquake (25 April)

April being the new academic session in Nepal, children had begun their new classes just for a

month. However, now the school buildings have collapsed and the grounds have turned into

shelters for earthquake victims.

Education Ministry of the country has urged schools to resume classes from 15 May. But, after

the second earthquake, it has been now postponed to 30 May. Over one million children have

been directly affected and some have even become separated from their families. At least

950,000 children will not be able to return to their schools unless urgent action is taken to

provide temporary learning spaces.

Thus, ICA Nepal in its response to the earthquake devastation, is working on the rebuild schools

in remote areas of Nepal. For this, ICA Nepal visited Tri Ratna School located at Bungamati,

Lalitpur with some stationaries and food supplies and interacted with the Principal Mr.

Madhukar Tuladhar regarding the school’s situation. Tri Ratna School’s building is completely

damaged and currently they are running their classes in tents. They reported that basically they

are focusing on children friendly education.

Several local organizations, agencies, friends, well-wishers and volunteers from national and

international corners have come forward to join hands with ICA Nepal in its initiation to relief

and rehabilitation works. ICA Nepal appreciates everyone for lending hands to rise Nepal again.

We managed to send blankets and tarpaulin along with nutrella, salt, beaten rice, rice, noodles, daal and medicines to Gorkha district. These goods are needed to be carried as the affected areas do not have access to roads. We were preparing these materials while the second earthquake (aftershocks) hit Nepal.

ICA USA on behalf of ICA Nepal is raising fund for ‘Earthquake Relief Fund’ which will be

used for relief, recovery and rehabilitation activities for earthquake affected people in Nepal.

ICA-USA will be accepting donations to send to ICA-Nepal. Your gifts will be tax deductible

and the entire amount donated will be sent to Nepal. ICA Nepal acknowledges global community

and volunteers for lending a hand to help Nepal rise again.

Institute of Cultural Affairs- USA 4750 N. Sheridan

Chicago, IL 60640

You may send your support directly clicking to: http://www.ica-usa.org/donations/

or

ICA Nepal Acc. No.: 01006378902

SWIFT Code: SCBLNPKA

Bank Name: Standard Chartered Bank

Address: New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal

Report Prepared by Ishu Subba

Executive Director

ICA Nepal