Aid workers scramble as risks persist in Nepal
Aftershocks challenge devastated nation
LONDON — International aid agencies and governments mobilized Sunday to respond to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, saying they faced challenges in getting assistance to the country and distributing it amid the widespread devastation there.
In the aftermath of the disaster, which has killed more than 3,200 people, injured 6,500 and left many more homeless in Nepal, development workers said that continued aftershocks, a crippled transport network and the loss of power in parts of the country had made it tough to search for survivors and distribute much-needed supplies.
Another 66 were killed across the border in India and at least another 20 in Tibet, China's state news agency said, pushing the death toll to around 3,300.
And employees of aid organizations have been affected themselves even as they organize responses to the catastrophe. Sanjay Karki, the country director for Mercy Corps, an international aid
The United Nations has said that more than 6 million people live in the areas affected by the earthquake. Many have either lost their homes or have been forced to live on the streets because of aftershocks.
organization, said some members of his staff had lost their homes and that although his own house was still standing, his extended family in Kathmandu was camping outside until the aftershocks subsided.
“Every one or two hours we feel those big jolts,” Mr. Karki said. “We really don’t know what to expect, so everyone is in a state of panic.”
The United States, India and China initiated their own relief efforts that were expected to see substantial numbers of foreign aid workers, search-and-rescue teams and medical equipment reach the stricken country over the next couple of days.
“We’re just gearing up,” said Roger Hodgson, deputy country director in Nepal for Save the Children, an international charity that already has more than 400 people, mostly Nepali in the country. “People have been resilient. But it’s been difficult to get people and supplies into the country, especially to rural areas far from Kathmandu.”
The United Nations has said that more than 6 million people live in the areas of Nepal that have been affected by the earthquake. Many individuals have either lost their homes or have been forced to live on the streets because of the threat of further aftershocks.
High in the Himalayas, hundreds of foreign and Nepalese climbers remained trapped after a huge avalanche ripped through a base camp for climbers, killing 17 people in the worst single disaster to hit Mount Everest.
Three Americans died in the massive avalanche, the U.S. State Department said Sunday, including a medic and a filmmaker who were at a base camp for Mount Everest climbers.
The climbers felt tremors Sunday powerful enough to send snow and boulders cascading towards them. Another was felt early today.
“What’s important to remember about Kathmandu is that it’s densely, densely packed,” said Gary Shaye, the director of humanitarian operations for Save the Children who worked in Nepal in the ’70s and ’80s. “This is a village that grew into a city.” He added, “There is not a lot of open space to accommodate people who get displaced.”
Rain descended on Kathmandu on Sunday, and Mr. Shaye said that the relief efforts faced a “race against time” because the monsoon season begins in June.
“Even if we had all the plastic sheeting and temporary shelter, is this going to be adequate for the monsoon season?” he said.
Still, because a severe earthquake had long been predicted by geologists, some agencies had made preparations and disaster plans.
“There was a sense of readiness you always have to have,” said Sarah Crowe, the crisis communications chief of UNICEF, who has also worked in Nepal.
She said UNICEF had supplies of tents, plastic sheeting and buckets, as well as zinc and oral hydration solutions for children who might be dehydrated from diarrhea. “It won’t be enough, and more shipments will have to be brought in,” she said.
A U.S. disaster relief response team of almost 70 people is expected to arrive today, said Susan ParkerBurns, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu.
Two teams of U.S. Special Forces were already in Nepal on a training exercise, and were now providing logistical and medical support to the country’s army, she added.
Several of Nepal’s neighbors have sent immediate help. India said that it had deployed 13 military transport planes and a 40-person disaster response team, while China said that a search-and-rescue team had already reached Kathmandu.
Several European governments also have offered financial resources and personnel.
On Sunday, the British government said it had made $7.5 million available to charities already working in Nepal so that they could buy essential supplies. Norway has pledged $4 million, while other European countries — like Germany, France and Spain — said they would offer financial support.
As the death toll from the earthquake continued to rise, however, aid agencies said that more support and financial assistance would be needed, particularly as attention turns beyond the initial response to the longterm support needed to rebuild many parts of Nepal.