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Nepal: Earthquake 2015 Situation Report No. 8 (as of 1 May 2015)

Countries
Nepal
Sources
OCHA
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Publication date

Highlights

  • A scale-up of operations is required to ensure immediate and principled assistance reaches people in desperate need within the next six weeks, in advance of the monsoon season. Shelter remains the most critical need in the affected areas.

  • A humanitarian hub was established in Gorkha to support response at the district level.

  • According to the Government, the death toll from the earthquake increased to 6,250 people with 14,357 injured people. 15 lives have been saved, including three in the past 24 hours.

  • As of 1 May, 160,786 houses have been destroyed and 143,673 houses have been damaged.

  • A total of US$61 million of humanitarian pledges, commitments and contributions have been provided for the Nepal earthquake response. This includes $6.1 million to support activities under the Flash Appeal launched by the Humanitarian Country Team on 29 April.

$415 million need for vital humanitarian relief

160,786 destroyed houses

143,673 damaged houses

Situation Overview

Six days into the response, the ongoing relief efforts continue to focus on reaching a greater number of areas, in particular the remote and hard-to-reach areas where many of the poorest and most affected remain.

It is becoming evident that a scale-up of operations is required to ensure immediate and principled assistance reaches people in desperate need within the next six weeks, in advance of the monsoon season. After the field visits and meetings with Government authorities and partners, the Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos emphasized the urgent need to provide emergency shelter and basic goods and services to people affected, as the weather conditions continue to deteriorate.

Following initial assessments, the Government has extended the most affected area to include Makawanpur and Sindhuli districts, in addition to Bhaktapur, Dhading, Dolakha, Gorkha, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Lamjung, Rasuwa, Ramechhap, Nuwakot, and Sindulpalchowk.

The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams have traveled to Dhading and Gorkha, where the team has set-up a humanitarian hub for the area. On 2 May, another team is scheduled to arrive in Sindulpachowk District.

In Gorkha, the UNDAC team has found that there is a dire need for shelter, particularly tents and blankets. Access to some remote villages remains a key challenge as many landing zones are unsafe due to debris, altitude and current weather conditions. Road access is limited. Some remote villages can only be accessed by helicopters.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.