The United Nations refugee agency announced today that it is rushing critical supplies to Nepal in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has killed over 4,000 people and injured thousands more, as it pledged to provide all assistance needed to help survivors.
"We are deeply saddened that thousands of people have been killed, injured or displaced in the disaster. These numbers are still rising with frequent aftershocks and as search and rescue teams reach remote areas," Director of the Asia-Pacific bureau of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Daisy Dell said.
"UNHCR stands in solidarity with Nepal, which has been a generous host to thousands of refugees over the years," she added.
The agency is sending 11,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lanterns from its warehouse in Damak, eastern Nepal, to the eastern hilly districts of Ramechhap, Okhaldhunga and Sindhuli. An additional 8,000 plastic sheets and 4,000 solar lamps are being flown to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, from Dubai via a cargo plane.
UNHCR will also be providing tarpaulins, which will help shelter earthquake victims whose homes have been destroyed or who are too afraid of aftershocks to return home. In view of the electricity shortage, UNHCR hopes that the solar lamps can provide some light in the affected areas and help to charge mobile phones at a time when families need to communicate urgently.
The UN refugee agency has been working with the Nepali government since the early 1960s to care for refugees from the region and beyond. There are currently more than 21,000 refugees from Bhutan in two camps in eastern Nepal, and some 650 refugees and asylum-seekers in and around Kathmandu.
Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says it is mobilizing an urgent response to help children and families affected by the earthquake. With children accounting for half the country's population, UNICEF fears the disaster will have a severe impact on children.
UNICEF Thailand Representative, Bijaya Rajbhandari, who is a national of Nepal, happened to be in Kathmandu with his family when the earthquake hit.
"It was a terrifyingly strong earthquake," he said.
"Today, we can see extensive damage to buildings across the city and many people have spent the night outside in the cold because of the ongoing shocks. These people are without basic facilities and the government hospitals are already overcrowded. People need help and they need it now."
UNICEF says it has prepositioned supplies, including water purification tablets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and nutrition supplies and is working with government and other partners to meet children's immediate needs in the areas of water and sanitation, child protection, health and nutrition.
