Aftermath - a week later.

Namaste.

It is now over a week since the devastating earthquake shook Nepal.  A week experiencing a whole range of emotions; terror, relief, thankfulness, hope, despair, horror, pity and helplessness to name but a few.

Most people will have heard about the earthquake and seen the dramatic photographs of Kathmandu on the world’s media. The devastation in some areas is horrific! Thousands have been killed, with the toll still rising and many more injured in the worst hit areas.  Unknown numbers have been left homeless as their houses have been damaged or destroyed by the powerful shaking.  Some remote communities needing aid have yet to be reached and this is proving difficult due to routes blocked by landslides.  Often there is no vehicle access to these communities, so aid has to be carried in or delivered by helicopter.

Kathmandu is a capital city with more than a million living there.  To put it into perspective many were unhurt and their homes not badly damaged. Sadly many poorer families from the city will be the ones worst affected by this tragedy as they frequently lived in overcrowded houses, often a family in one room. Their homes tended to be in older, less strongly-built houses, and were often the ones that collapsed in the quake.  In some areas the houses were build very close to each other, and many storeys high.  There would have been a domino effect when they collapsed. These poor families badly need aid as they have not the finance or resources to replace what they have lost.

Since the ‘great’ quake, as it is now being called, there have been many aftershocks, even a small one just before 12 o’clock on Saturday, exactly a week since the first. Fortunately most of these aftershocks have been slight and over time they have become weaker and less frequent. However people are still scared and sudden vibrations or loud noises cause people to move quickly, ready to evacuate the building. Nobody wants to be caught inside a collapsing building!

Fortunately, the town of Besisahar where I live, despite being quite close to the epicenter, has not been much damaged and the district has few casualties.  However, in the rural villages nearby, many of the traditionally built houses, constructed of wood, stones, bamboo and mud plaster, have not withstood the shaking well, and are cracked or damaged. Some have had walls break and crumble or lean-to walls collapse. However there is not the blanket destruction of homes that has affected other districts, where reports talk of every house in the village being flattened.

Life in the town is returning to normal. Many of the shops in the main street are open for business and people are going about their daily lives. There is plenty of fresh food on sale, much of it grown locally and brought down to the town in baskets (dokho) carried on the back. Buses are running, shops are taking deliveries, builders are continuing the constructions and women working on the terraced fields. At the Global Action Nepal office all my colleagues were working most days last week to complete the end of month financial reports.

Schools have been officially closed last week, much to the delight of the students. Many have been playing outside, the terrors of last Saturday forgotten.  Shlok, a ten year old boy living near me, normally attends boarding school in Kathmandu. He and his brother were lucky to get on a bus leaving the city on Monday, before the big rush to leave really took off.  They are now enjoying the safety of home, and an unexpected holiday, and will stay until the situation improves in Kathmandu.

A phone call to check on each of the schools and communities that we are working, with on the Sisters for Sisters project, has reassured us that nine schools have sustained little damaged, and hopefully will be open and working next week after the official period of mourning ends.  I look forward to my next visits to these schools. Three schools, our most southerly and nearest to the epicentre, have more damage and will need repairs before their students can attend again.

There is much movement around the country at this time.  Many long distance buses are crowded with people who live or work away from home, and are anxious to return to their families and homes, to see for themselves the effect of the earthquake and do what they can to help.

As VSO volunteers, we have all been offered repatriation to our home countries. Those from the worst affected areas have been encouraged to go, if there was no further useful work they could accomplish. I feel quite safe in Besisahar, with clean water, sanitation, food and electricity not being affected, so have decided to remain and continue the work I am doing.   I have offered to be involved in any quake related initiatives, should that be appropriate, and I know VSO Nepal staff are working to make plans for this at present.

Now the country needs to get back to some semblance of normality as soon as is possible. In the meantime, a sincere “Thank you” to everyone who has donated money, either for rescue, relief or rebuilding.  Your donations are very much needed to help this very poor nation at this time.  Thank You.