Fuel Relief for Nepal

Disaster struck our global community April 25, 2015, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the people of Nepal.  Stretching already humble Nepali resources, hundreds of thousands of terrified people were left without shelter, water and provisions necessary to sustain life.  Initial reports were received that indicated over 9,000 people were killed and over 23,000 additional people were injured.

When Fuel Relief Fund (FRF) learned of the situation, our disaster response process went into play.  A decision was made within the first 24 hours that FRF would respond to the needs of the Nepali people.  Our three man team arrived in Kathmandu within 48 hours of the initial quake.  Following standard response protocol, we made contact with the United Nations OCHA representative to learn the immediate needs and requirements.  FRF responders took an initial $50,000 from our reserves to procure the required fuel for distribution.  Global Giving subsequently donated $50,000 to FRF to assist our deployment.  One hundred percent of the Global Giving donation went to the Nepali effort.

The FRF deployment team procured over 13,400 gallons of gasoline and diesel which was subsequently distributed as follows:

• On the first day of our operations in Nepal, FRF fueled vehicles for the United Nations OCHA and the World Food Program (WFP).  Subsequently, Doctors Without Borders and other international NGOs and local relief agencies were provided free fuel;
• FRF provided fuel to power generators for area hospitals such that they could maintain their ability to serve patient needs, as well as the utilization of their ambulances, buses, and other operationally necessary equipment.

• The FRF team also supplied fuel for generators used by the Nepali people who were camped in open fields because they were afraid to stay in their dwellings for fear of them crumbling during the many numbered after-shocks.
• Provided fuel to the City of Kathmandu to power their water treatment plant that produces 10,000 liters of fresh water an hour.
• FRF also procured the use of a flatbed truck to transport 55 gallon barrels of gasoline and diesel to the remote villages on the mountain sides of Nepal.
• Provided fuel for many small motorcycles that local Nepalese used to get food and water to the remote mountain villages.  Several of the roads and bridges were impossible to navigate in a vehicle.

The immediate and significant impact of FRF’s deployment was that the many relief agencies and the Nepali people were able to get the fuel needed to sustain their lives until a more established source of fuel could be restored.  The provision of free fuel is the primary mission of FRF.  Once traditional sources of fuel were resumed, our team returned to the United States.

FRF’s month long deployment and the services provided were met with sincere appreciation from the NGO’s that were on the scene providing their own brand of service and especially from the local residents who needed our help during the initial ordeal.  The reaction of the UN OCHO and WFP personnel was provided with a great deal of appreciation.  FRF strongly believes that our relationship with those two arms of the United Nations has grown extensively and the possibility of a Standby Partnership Agreement between FRF and WFP may be in the works.

Time after time FRF sees that little can be accomplished without fuel, an opinion also expressed by the UN OCHA representatives.  In fact, fuel might be thought of as the critical life blood of every disaster relief operation.  Fuel Relief Fund is still the only international disaster relief NGO that provides free fuel for the needs of the people affected by the disaster.