Earthquake Disaster

KAVRE, NEPAL: PICKING UP THE PIECES

10 days after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Gorkha, Nepal, we did a post-quake damage assessment in 3 of our network of 14 affected villages in Kavre District – Fulbari, Shikhapur & Ojetha. Almost all the houses suffered considerable damage and no one feels safe living in them. Over half of the houses in Fulbari are totally destroyed. Shikhapur has at least 45 out of 72 houses seriously damaged and Ojetha lost at least 80 out of 130 houses.

Destroyed house in Fulbari

Glad to be alive but what now?

One of the many destroyed houses in Shikhapur

What’s left of a house in Ojetha

To really assess the safety of these damaged houses, we will engage a structural engineer to check and confirm which houses are still structurally sound. We hope to bring assurance to the people if their house is still safe and to get them to return indoors and do the recommended repair work as soon as possible.

Still looks good but safe to stay in?

It is reported that 2 million adults and children are affected nationwide and they will need immediate relief such as food, shelter & medicine for at least the next 3 months.

Since the quake damage is widespread and the need is immense in many remote villages (news report over 600,000 houses are either destroyed or damaged), our strategy will have to focus only on the poorest of the poor with the least capacity and access to external help such as relatives or friends. We will do this in consultation and partnership with local village elders and leaders.

Common cry of the people is not more relief but rebuild.

“Please pray with us for our houses to be rebuilt and our lives to return to normalcy soon.”