* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
As a second major earthquake strikes Nepal today, thousands remain unreached in remote villages cut off from assistance and life-saving aid.
Emergency relief and recovery organisation Medair was distributing essential relief items with Mission East in Thakani, a community in Sindhupalchowk district, when the new 7.3 magnitude quake struck.
Nathalie Fauveau, a Medair relief worker, was working on the first floor of Medair’s office in Kathmandu when she felt the tremors.
“It was very strong and lasted for around 20 to 25 seconds,” she said. “The walls started swaying and everybody ran outside. I took refuge with a staff member under a door frame and when it slowed down, we ran downstairs then outside. The local Nepali staff were pale with fear ̶ you could see the trauma from the first earthquake resurface. Aftershocks are still continuing.”
This is the second earthquake to strike the country in two weeks. More than 8,000 were killed in the first 7.8 magnitude quake on 25 April, injuring more than 13,000 people and leaving thousands cut off from assistance.
Medair’s staff, who were close to the epicentre of the new quake, are safe and accounted for and our team will continue to assess and reach remote villages cut off from assistance with essential relief items.
“It’s extremely important that we now reach families living in remote villages who were affected by today’s quake,” said Nathalie. “It has caused serious landslides and roadblocks, which will make reaching these villages even more challenging. The fragility of people’s homes is already very bad and as a result of today, I’m sure that many more homes will collapse. People will be too afraid to sleep indoors and will be out in the open spaces again.”
Medair’s Emergency Response Team is responding to people’s shelter, health, and hygiene needs, providing essential household and shelter relief items, as well as emergency health kits to the region.
For media
Interviews, photos, and stories are available upon request. For interviews from Nepal, please contact Nathalie Fauveau, Medair’s Communication Officer (English, French, German) comms-npl@medair.org +977 98 03 45 69 85
For more information from Medair’s HQ in Switzerland, please contact Abigail Woodcock, Press Relations Officer (English) abigail.woodcock@medair.org +41 (0)21 694 84 72 or +41 (0)78 635 30 95
Medair helps people in devastated communities around the world survive crises, recover with dignity, and develop the skills they need to build a better future.
Medair is a member of the Integral Alliance, a global alliance of Christian relief and development agencies.
Medair’s Nepal response is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NL), Läkarmissionen (SE), Government of Lichtenstein, ERIKS Development Partner (SE), Mission Aviation Fellowship (SE), EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, and generous private donors.
This press release was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
