On Saturday 3rd November, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Karnali province of Nepal close to midnight. While residents tried to assess the damage and dangers throughout the night, a further 159 aftershocks continued to shake communities.
Karnali province is the largest in Nepal and the impact on local lives will be widespread. While the full impact is yet to be realised, it is clear that homes and livelihoods have been greatly affected. Habitat for Humanity New Zealand is pledging NZD $28,800 to Habitat Nepal and the long-term recovery of affected areas. This is possible thanks to several generous donors and we hope to increase this amount as momentum for the recovery builds. Habitat Nepal has already supplied 400 emergency shelter kits to those in immediate need and their team is on the ground in Jajarkot, working tirelessly alongside the resilient people of the region.
In the Jajarkot and West Rukum districts, initial government reports indicate that the earthquake has tragically led to a combined 157 casualties so far and over 500 reported injuries in those areas alone. The damage also extends to housing, with close to 800 residences and public buildings being fully demolished and over 1,000 households damaged. For each home damaged, there is a family with nowhere to shelter or begin to recover from this disaster.
In the short-term recovery, various planned responses include rubble removal, temporary shelter kits, and water supplies. Safety and damage assessments can also be undertaken to develop a plan for this natural disaster’s recovery phase.
Habitat for Humanity New Zealand has a long-standing relationship with Habitat Nepal. Large-scale disaster response efforts were supported in the wake of the devastating 2015 earthquake and subsequent long-term housing programmes have continued in past years.
Thanks to the generosity of our long-term supporters, we have been able to play a part in Habitat Nepal’s on-going shelter programmes. If you would like to support affected families in Nepal, click here to donate to the earthquake recovery.
Shelter kits being distributed by Habitat Nepal in Jajarkot.
Heading image: Houses damaged in Aathbiskot Municipality-12, West Rukum, Nepal. Photo: RSS
