A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 shook Nepal on Saturday near its capital, Kathmandu, killing more than 1,900 people, flattening sections of the city's historic center, and trapping dozens of sightseers in a 200-foot watchtower that came crashing down into a pile of bricks. Official reports state that nearly 8,250 people died in Kathmandu and the surrounding valley, with more than 16,000 people injured. The Earthquake also set off avalanches around Mount Everest, where at least 17 climbers died. The people of Nepal were struggling to save their lives and the lives of many trapped in the debris of the house that collapsed.

 

 

 

Reliance Foundation (RF), understanding the magnitude of the calamity responded and deputed a two-member team led by Ravi Bansal and Yatindra Shashi to Kathmandu for ground assessment of the situation for better understanding of the devastation and the relief needed. The team based on their assessment finalized three Districts namely Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot and Dhading amongst the worst affected to be supported with food and household kits plus temporary shelter (tents) to the households who have lost their houses. However, the inaccessibility to the villages, lack of availability of vehicles, improper coordination amongst different agencies made disaster response a difficult proposition.

 

 

 

Sindhupalchok, the most affected district having caught the media attention was flooded with rescue and relief agencies, so the team opted for Nuwakot and Dhading districts for relief operations. The RF team interacted with the District Disaster Response Committee (DDRC) in Nuwakot and Dhading districts to identify villages where relief did not reach. The remoteness of the villages assigned to Reliance Foundation made them the last choice for the relief teams.

The team strategically collaborated with Red Cross Nepal for helping in the distribution of the relief material. Despite a trek of 16 kms, a five-member Reliance Foundation team supported by the Red Cross volunteers was physically present in two villages Kimtang and Dangsing of Nuwakot districts to support 980 Households with food kits. The team is committed to support 5,000 Households with food kits, 2,000 with Household kits and 2,800 tents.