Jajarkot district in western Nepal is one of the poorest and most isolated places in the country. Many residents were already food insecure before the earthquake. Repeated aftershocks forced more than 6,000 families to sleep on the streets. There was a shortage of blankets, drinking water and food.
Within just seven days of the earthquake, AWO International was on the ground with its long-standing partner organization, BEE Group. After the devastating earthquake in 2015, in which around 9,000 people lost their lives, the regional office in Kathmandu had set up a warehouse with relief supplies in order to be able to respond more quickly in the event of another earthquake. Together with BEE Group, the most urgent needs and the most affected families were identified and the distribution of aid was prepared.
Most of the people living in the affected region are farmers or day labourers. Most of them have also lost food stocks, livestock, agricultural equipment and seeds due to the damage to their homes, further threatening their food security. This is why colleagues from the regional office of AWO International, together with helpers from BEE Group, distributed food parcels to 500 families. Each parcel is enough to feed a family of five for at least a month. The food parcels contained rice, pulses, cooking oil, sugar and salt and were quickly distributed to the families by an aid team.
The destruction of their homes left many families without a roof over their heads and forced them to sleep in outsides. As temperatures drop rapidly at night in the region, it was important to provide emergency shelter as part of the relief effort. AWO International and BEE Group distributed tarpaulins and nylon ropes to build shelters, as well as blankets, mattresses and buckets to a total of 300 families. In addition, 17 family tents were set up for families who had lost loved ones and a further 12 tents were distributed to community facilities such as health centres, local authorities and hospitals.
Rapid and well-coordinated cooperation has been crucial to the rapid and effective delivery of emergency relief to affected families. In a second phase, a reconstruction programme is planned, for which a needs assessment is currently being carried out.
Projectinfo
| Project | Emergency relief for earthquake-affected families in the Jajarkot district, Nepal |
|---|---|
| Place/Region | Nalgad, Jajarkot, Nepal |
| Partner | Bheri Environmental Excellence Group (BEE-Group) |
| Target group | 300 families (1,437 people) for emergency aid packages with blankets, mattresses, buckets and ladles, 500 families (2,934 people) for food packages, around 200 recipients of tents |
| Activities |
|
| Duration | 05.11.2023-31.03.2024 |
| Budget | 100.000 Euro |
| Sponsor | Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) and Donations |
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