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Nepal Earthquake, 2015

UN Refugee Agency Rushes Critical Supplies to Nepal Amid Devastating Earthquake

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The United Nations refugee agency has dispatched critical supplies to Nepal in response to the devastating earthquake that has claimed over 3,000 lives and left thousands more injured or displaced. The agency, UNHCR, pledged to provide assistance to survivors through this difficult time, sending 11,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lanterns to remote areas. UNHCR Director Daisy Dell expressed solidarity with Nepal, a country that has hosted thousands of refugees over the years.

Key Takeaways:

  • The earthquake has resulted in over 3,000 deaths and thousands more injuries or displacements, with numbers still rising due to aftershocks.
  • UNHCR is sending 11,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lanterns to eastern hilly districts of Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga, and Sindhuli.
  • An additional 8,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lamps are being flown to Kathmandu from Dubai via a cargo plane.
  • UNHCR has been working with the Nepali government since the early 1960s to care for refugees from the region and beyond.
  • There are currently over 21,000 refugees from Bhutan in two camps in eastern Nepal, and some 650 refugees and asylum-seekers in and around Kathmandu.
  • UNICEF is mobilizing an urgent response to help children and families affected by the earthquake, with a focus on water and sanitation, child protection, health, and nutrition.
  • UNICEF Thailand has launched an appeal for urgent donations from the Thai public to help with the response.
  • The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued guidelines for donations to the international response through the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Statistics:

  • Over 3,000 dead and thousands more injured or displaced.
  • 11,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lanterns sent to Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga, and Sindhuli.
  • An additional 8,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lamps flown to Kathmandu from Dubai via a cargo plane.
  • 21,000 refugees from Bhutan in two camps in eastern Nepal.
  • 650 refugees and asylum-seekers in and around Kathmandu.
  • Half the country's population is children.

Sources:

  • M2 PRESSWIRE (April 27, 2015)
  • M2 Communications (http://www.m2.com)
  • United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

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