Jump to content Jump to footer
20. December 2023

Earthquake relief Nepal

On 3rd November 2023, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale, struck several places in the districts of Jajarkot and Rukum in the province of Karnali in western Nepal, followed by several strong aftershocks, 157 people lost their lives and over 10,000 houses in the two districts were completely destroyed. More than 500 people were injured. AWO International promptly responded to assess the needs and provide emergency aid to the most affected communities.

Man handing relief items to woman, with many children and young people in the background.
Our colleagues from AWO International's regional office in Nepal are helping victims by distributing emergency relief kits.

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
  • Distribution of food parcels to 500 families who have lost their homes or whose homes are no longer safe. Each parcel contains 50 kg of rice, 9 kg of pulses, 4.5 litres of cooking oil, 1 kg of salt and 2 kg of sugar 
  • Distribution of 300 emergency aid kits (tarpaulins, ropes, mattresses, blankets, buckets and cups) for the construction of 300 families 
  • Distribution of 29 family tents 
Duration 05.11.2023-31.03.2024
Budget 100.000 Euro
Sponsor Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) and Donations

You might also be interested in

3 Mädchen und 2 Jungen sitzen auf dem Boden und unterhalten sich. Die Mädchen tragen blaue lange Kopftücher, die Jungen blaue Hämden.
South AsiaPakistan

Humanitarian Aid- support for afghan refugees in Pakistan

More and more people from Afghanistan are seeking refuge in Pakistan. The situation in the shelters is very tense due to the high prices for food and the lack of necessary materials. Together with SOLIDAR Suisse, AWO International supports refugees with food, cooking utensils and other urgently needed relief supplies.

more information
A smiling woman stands in front of a wooden machine that processes the abaca fiber.
Southeast AsiaPhilippines

Philippine farmers switch to green production

Together with the local partner organisation ECOWEB, AWO International supports smallholder households and strengthens the local capacities of the agricultural industry in Sibagat. Filipino farmers are introduced to the use of natural materials and practices that are climate-friendly and sustainable in order to protect the environment, improve their livelihoods and reduce poverty. In this way, local capacities can be strengthened and the impacts of extreme weather events and climate change can be better managed.

more information
A woman stands in a field and smiles at the camera.
AfricaUganda

Food Security and Empowerment of Refugees and Host Communities in Uganda

West Nile is the biggest host of refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda. Majority of them face persistent realities of food insecurity, malnutrition and climate change. Together with our partner RICE West Nile, we support refugees and asylum seekers to improve their situation and strengthen their resilience.

more information
X

Cookie consent

AWO International e.V. uses cookies to ensure the smooth functioning of our platform (technically necessary cookies). In addition, we ask for your consent to the use of cookies for analysis purposes and improvement of the platform (statistical cookies).