Over the two weeks that followed
the earthquake, the PHASE team worked incredibly hard under difficult
circumstances to get aid to our existing project areas and to those in desperate
need of assistance. This is a record of the 12 days that followed after the
earthquake, the work of both the PHASE Nepal team and other humanitarian disaster
charities.
EARTHQUAKE – SATURDAY 25th
APRIL
A 7.9 RS earthquake registered
in Nepal at 11:00am (Nepal time), particularly affecting the Gorkha and
Sindhupalchok districts.
Gerda (PHASE Medical
Co-ordinator), Brihaspati (PHASE Programme Coordinator), Neer (PHASE
Education Coordinator) and Rajendra (PHASE Communications and
Monitoring Officer) experienced the earthquake while on their way to the
PHASE project area in Fulpingkot region, Sindhupalchok. A normal days work.
The PHASE staff in all affected
locations immedieately worked on dealing with injuries to local people.
Fortunately, all staff were accounted for post-earthquake, before the phone
lines went down.
DAY 1 – SUNDAY 26th APRIL
The PHASE management team returned
to Kathmandu to help organise relief efforts from the capital.
The Kathmandu PHASE office opened
in the morning and established contact with PHASE staff in the field to gather
information about their surroundings and conditions.
However, at 1:00pm a second
earthquake was felt and caused several large landslides throughout Nepal.
Homes completely destroyed by the earthquake
DAY 2 – MONDAY 27th APRIL
On day two, the PHASE office became
operational with power and internet under tarpaulins. Staff based in Kathmandu continued
to contact PHASE project staff for information regarding the second earthquake.
PHASE Nepal board members and
staff organised the purchase and transport of supplies to devastated areas.
Large quantities of rice were purchased, but the PHASE staff had trouble
acquiring medicines, tents, tarpaulin and blankets for transport due to the
high demand in Kathmandu.
Roads between India and Nepal
closed meaning that supplies from India were very limited. The heavy rain also
made transport difficult.
Management staff attempted to
access a helicopter to get supplies to Gorkha and rescue PHASE staff, however, it was too dangerous for the
helicopters to take off.
Supplies in Gorkha continued to
dwindle, with a max of two or three days more until depletion. Aftershocks
continue across Nepal.
PHASE Nepal office set up in Kathmandu
DAY 3 – TUESDAY 28th APRIL
100 bags of rice and 20 boxes of
medicine arrived at the PHASE office in Kathmandu, along with 100 tarpaulins by
the end of the day. PHASE staff organise transport to take this supply to Sindhupalchok.
PHASE staff from Fulpingkot,
Sindhupalchok returned to Kathmandu as they did not have any shelter nor enough
food supplies.
DAY 4 – WEDNESDAY 29th APRIL
The first delivery of relief
goods from PHASE made it to Thumpakar in Sindhupalchok – a total of 70 bags of
rice and 140 tarpaulins.
600 more tarpaulins and 37 boxes
of various medicines were purchased by the PHASE team in Kathmandu.
The PHASE health staff remain in
communities where possible, treating injured people at increasing rates.
The PHASE management team
continued to coordinate with other agencies, they had meetings with other
charities such as AWO International, the Asia Foundation, People in Need and
Her Turn.
DAY 5 – THURSDAY 30th
APRIL
PHASE Staff reports started to
come in, revealing the extent and damage and deaths across some villages in
Nepal. Helicopters were still unavailable for anything other than evacuation in
Gorkha.
PHASE Staff attemped to salvage
medical supplies from the rubble and attempted to arrange further supply
transfers.
Replacement health workers arrived
in Fulpingkot, Sindhulpalchok to provide emergency health service and coordinated
relief distribution in this village.
120 tarpaulins were transported
to Thumulthar in Sindhupalchok.
200 more bags of rice and 657
more tarpaulins were purchased in Kathmandu.
The management team decided to
send a team of 11 to Fulpingkot and considered setting up a medical camp in
Jalbire, Sindhupalchok.
DAY 6 – FRIDAY 1st MAY
Today, three helicopters carrying
foodstuff landed in Kashiguan village in Gorkha and were distributed by the PHASE
staff.
However, other helicopter
deliveries were less successful. In Kerauja, supplied had to be thrown from the
air due to the destruction of landslides in this village. This meant that many supplies
were damaged.
Some supplies from the Nepali Army
managed to reach Gorkha.
PHASE sent 80 bags of rice and
935 tarpaulins were sent to Fulpingkot region, through funding of the AWO
International.
Two injured patients were
identified in Sindhupalchok who need emergency hospital treatment.
Additional PHASE health workers
left for Hagam in Sindhupalchok to provide desperate health support.
PHASE Health workers and a GP
volunteer, Dr Elena, had to return from the Kashigaun village to Pokara via
army helicopter; staff from Rayale in Kavrepalanchowk returned back to Kathmandu, this included a GP
volunteer, Dr. Penny.
450kg of tarpaulin was dropped at
the airport in Kathmandu for distribution to worst affected PHASE project areas.
Increasing issues with sanitation
unravelled across many villages PHASE staff were located in, due to the
destruction of the earthquake that has trapped animals under building rumble,
destroyed sewage systems and damaged health facilities.
DAY 7 – SATURDAY 2nd MAY
A further 685 bags of rice were
purchased in Kathmandu by PHASE staff.
219 tarpaulins and a box of
medicine reached Hagam in Sindhupalchok by private helicopter and were successfully
distributed by PHASE staff.
106 tarpaulins were sent to
Chhekampar in Gorkha with transport arranged by local people (funded by Cha Ya,
an Austrian charity).
Medicines and tarpaulin were sent
to the airport to be flown to Manbu, Chumchet, Kerauja and Sirdibas in Gorkha.
Three patients from Fulpingkot in
Sindhupalchok were brought back to Kathmandu by ambulance and admitted to the
international clinic.
DAY 8 – SUNDAY 3rd MAY
70 tarpaulin and 180 bags of rice
were sent to Thumpakar and Vimtar in Sindhupalchok.
PHASE supplied 106 tarpaulins and
5 bags of rice to Chhekampar in Gorkha via a helicopter drop organised by local
people.
Food, medicine and other
logistical supplies were sent by a health team to Kerauja and Kashigaun,
Gorkha.
PHASE management team joined the government
level coordination meetings with the Social Welfare Council (similar to the
Charity Commission) in Kathmandu.
DAY 9 – MONDAY 4th MAY
A helicopter took a replacement
health team to Kashigaun in Gorkha, as well as another team to provide
essential relief goods to Keraunja, also in Gorkha.
Unfortunately, It was reported
back that the helicopter could not land due to safety concerns caused by the
landslides. The team in Keraunja had to remain in post. The helicopter had no
nearby options either, and failed to deliver any supplied to Sridibas, Chumchet
and Manbu. An incredibly frustrating day for the team trying to delivery
emergency supplies for those in desperate need.
555 bags of rice were delivered
to Hagam in Sindhupalchok.
Dr Elena travelled to Hagam also
to support the PHASE health staff there. Three Nepali medical volunteers, who
flew in from the UK, travelled to Fulpingkot in Sindhupalchok to support the
health staff.
Another patient from Hagam was brought
back to Kathmandu by ambulance and admitted to the international hospital.
Rajendra (PHASE board member) and
Urmila (Health Programme Manager) travelled to Sindhupalchok for relief
coordination meetings. Meetings were held in the office with People in Need,
Caritas, AWO and Himalayan Development Foundation Australia.
DAY 10 – TUESDAY 10th MAY
534 bags of rice and 170
tarpaulins were sent to Fulpingkot, which completed the first round of relief
goods and total coverage for this area.
More medicinal supplies and 14
solar lights were purchased, the latter being particularly useful to ensure
mobile phones remained charged for emergency contact and coordination between
PHASE staff across Nepal.
One of the patients evacuated
from Hagam in Sindhupalchok was admitted to the teaching hospital in Kathmandu
for emergency surgery.
Rajendra and Sunita (Health
Programme Officer) travelled to Gorkha for another coordination meeting with
other agencies.
DAY 11 – WEDNESDAY 6th
MAY
Guidelines developed for supply distribution
and surveys to analyse need, further relief delivery for Hagam was also prepared.
Health staff were moved around to
relieve those in the worst affected areas.
DAY 12 – THURSDAY 7th MAY
Two teams of PHASE health staff
flew by helicopter to Sridibas and Chumchet in Gorkha to provide emergency
healthcare and supply essential medicines.
Two separate teams of PHASE staff
set off by road to Manbu in Gorkha and Hagam in Sindhupalchok to support
emergency services running there.
Ana additional team was set up in
Aarughat in Gorkha to coordinate relief distribution.
510 bags of rice and 400
tarpaulins were sent to Hagam in Sindhupalchok.
1200 plastic jugs, mattresses and
plastic water containers were purchased by the Kathmandu office.
PHASE Nepal staff distributing rice bags
Summary of the 12 days
Over the last 12 days, PHASE received
vital support from many generous donors that wished to support recovery and
response in Nepal. PHASE were able to:
Supply around 1,665 bags of rice to the affected
communities – at an average of £7 per bag, to ensure people can access food.
Purchased around 3,905 tarpaulins for £15,325 –
averaging £4 per tarpaulin, for those who lost their homes (Up to 90% of people
in Gorkha).
Provided additional food supplies to our staff
working in the worst affected areas costing £171.
Purchased medicines to treat earthquake victims
and kept our health services running were damages were minimal.
Flew several times to affected regions by
helicopters (road access is not possible) – at a cost of £3,143 in order to distribute
essential supplies and replace staff who could not provide health services.
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