Humanitarian aid planned for hard-to-reach areas in Nepal

Nepal (GAiN) — [Editor’s Note: After much earthquake aid has been put forth to help urban areas of Nepal, Global Aid Network and a local Christian organization are partnering to help people in hard-to-reach areas. This is the project proposal they want to use in the upcoming months.]

 

The Crisis
On April 25, 2015 at 11:56 local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, with the epicenter in Lamjung District (north-west) of Kathmandu and south of the China border. This event and dozens of aftershocks killed more than 8,000 and displaced 1.3 million people. Then, on May 12, another 7.3 magnitude earthquake wreaked further havoc just 76 km northeast of Kathmandu.

The Analysis
Global Aid Network (GAiN) immediately sent a crisis assessment team to survey the existing crisis conditions and complete a situational analysis of needs, resources, and personnel. Our focus was to evaluate how we can support and assist the 320 Campus Crusade National staff in their relief efforts on behalf of the Nepalese people impacted.

GAiN and Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ agree that our priority must be to serve victims of the earthquake who would otherwise be neglected. They reside in the tough places of Nepal—tough to get there and tough to live in. Moreover, the work of evangelism and followup will be more effective in these smaller, more isolated communities than in the chaos of urban Kathmandu.

Nepal CCC, through its 120 field staff and 200 church planters, have already developed relationships in these communities. People living in these mountain villages experience greater suffering because, even before the earthquake, the roads were primitive and poorly maintained. Now, many are severely damaged. Consequently, humanitarian aid will reach these communities last, if at all.

The Strategy
Global Aid Network, in partnership with Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ, will respond to the crisis with a three-phase project, summarized in the chart below. Based upon current capacity available, the decision was made to resource 1,000 families in phase one and two. In the third phase, we plan to help 50 families rebuild their permanent homes. This plan provides the capacity to scale this project as additional resources (funds, supplies, and personnel) become available.

Phase I – Emergency Relief
Our advance team discovered a surprising lack of sources for clean water, both in the Kathmandu valley and the remote villages. A water filtration kit, consisting of a plastic bucket or bag fitted with a Sawyer “Point One” filter, will provide a family with virtually unlimited supply for more than two years.

Food security is, of course, low after a disaster on this scale. GAiN and Nepal CCC will deliver a 21-day supply of staple food items purchased locally and bundled into kits by local staff. Each bundle consists of rice, noodles, lentils, cooking oil, salt, and sugar.

While food, water, and medical care remain critical needs, the people of Nepal face a potential new crisis with the arrival of monsoon season, usually beginning in June. Many structures lay in ruins, and most others have not been inspected for safety, so victims live in makeshift shelters consisting of any material that can be salvaged. GAiN and Nepal CCC will provide 1,000 families with waterproof tarps to construct temporary shelters.

Logistics within the Kathmandu valley remain relatively straightforward. The same cannot be said for remote villages, however, which lie in the surrounding mountains. The roads are notoriously primitive and the terrain treacherous during the rainy season.

GAiN must purchase 2 trucks designed for rugged terrain. The proposal includes fuel and maintenance for 15 months.

Phase II – Stabilization
GAiN and Nepal CCC will then extend tangible help beyond the immediate crisis, in anticipation of the monsoon season. The second phase will include the delivery of tents for 1,000 families, 3,000 blankets, and 5,000 pairs of shoes. To help stave off disease, GAiN and Nepal CCC will assemble and deliver personal hygiene supplies. To treat the sick and wounded, we will deliver disposable medical supplies, such as syringes, swabs, gloves, etc. These will be shipped in two 20-foot containers. GAiN will work with Nepal CCC staff to secure an enclosed area for storage and staging.

Phase III – Reconstruction
One Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ staff couple—newly married and expecting their first child soon—lost their home in the earthquake. They now live in the front yard of their demolished house. According to new husband and father-to-be, Narayan, the price of bricks has quadrupled since the earthquake; so, most everyone expects a slow recovery.

Once the monsoon season has passed, GAiN and Nepal CCC plan to help 50 families rebuild their permanent homes. As life returns to normal (God willing) and Nepalese children resume their typical school schedule, GAiN will equip Nepal CCC with 3,000 CarePacks. These school supplies offer Christian workers an opportunity to develop relationships with families and school administrators.

Global Aid Network and Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ seek to offer much more than temporal relief; we will work together to bring the eternal hope of Jesus Christ to the lost. We will do this first by delivering tangible evidence of God’s love for the people of Nepal.

The Impact
The Nepal Campus Crusade for Christ staff numbers more than 100, with another 200 Campus Crusade for Christ International workers serving alongside them. While other organizations, both Christian and secular, are sending tons of humanitarian assistance, none have the ability to combine practical help with spiritual guidance.

We give assistance to all, without conditions or reservations, fulfilling the Great Commandment as our Lord taught us. Experience has shown us, however, when we extend kindness to those in need, we discover abundant opportunities to share the good news with people who would otherwise be afraid or unwilling to hear it.

We would be privileged to have you as our partner in this great endeavor. Click here to help now.