By Chantal Bianchi | Project leader
Since the announcement of the earthquake that hit Nepal Saturday, April 25, the Caritas network, which includes Secours Catholique-Caritas France, has mobilized to assist the victims.
A strong earthquake (7.9 on the Richter scale) hit Nepal in Saturday morning. Caritas Nepal has quickly confirmed media reports of thousands of victims of heavy material damage and countless destroyed buildings. The whole country and the neighboring countries, India and Bangladesh, were hit. Aftershocks hit areas that have already been hardly hit by the earthquake adding to the number of victims.
Since that earthquake, which affected 30 of the 75 districts in Nepal, hundreds of thousands of people sleep outside their houses being destroyed or threatened to collapse. Teams on site assist victims and collect evidence. Tents, water bottles, hygiene products and other first aid materials are distributed.
The earthquake also caused a blackout of communication networks.
Faced with this dramatic situation, Secours Catholique-Caritas France immediately released an initial aid of 50,000 € and is implementing with its partners in emergency programs to provide assistance to affected populations.
Following the second earthquake in Nepal Tuesday, May 12 in the north-east, Caritas network has redoubled its mobilization.
"Landslides caused by this new earthquake could seriously hamper the complicated rescue operations in most isolated villages", feared the Caritas teams, already mobilized on the ground for two weeks. "We prefer materials for shelter and clean water, but after the second shock needs will be even greater."
"It's raining and the temperature drops at night. Beyond food aid, what people need right now is something to build a shelter, "said father Pius Peruman, director of Caritas Nepal and operations coordinator. The victims (often single women in the villages, because their husbands work in town or abroad) received large plastic sheets, blankets and mattresses.
Other priority, according to feedbacks from the field : hygiene and sanitation of the water. Filters and water purification tablets have been distributed, as soap and buckets of 20 liters.
Finally, it is planned to provide those who need kitchen utensils, jerrycans, solar lamps or torches.
Secours Catholique-Caritas France has decided to pay 250,000 € to Caritas Nepal to assist 100,000 victims until late June.
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