Supporting Nepal Beyond Just Emergency Relief
It has been two weeks since the devastating landslides and floods in Nepal. Peace Winds is working alongside local communities to deliver much needed aid and supplies. This entails assessing what they need, not only to survive the immediate emergency, but also to rebuild their lives in the long term.
Peace Winds has a long history in Nepal, so our team has been delivering relief in partnership with local groups, primarily in and around Bidur, the capital of the central Nuwakot District. This has included distributing food, water, and emergency supplies as well as supporting medical care. However, as survivors continue to be displaced from their homes, new challenges are emerging.
Peace Winds conducted assessments in two villages, Gerkhutar and Devighat, in Nuwakot District, where more than 300 households have been affected in each village. Several organizations were distributing food and clothing, while the local government was coordinating efforts.
Our team also found that sanitation remains a particularly serious concern that is being unmet. Many people, ranging from children to older adults, are living together in a single room, making it difficult to maintain sanitary conditions. Evacuees will need temporary housing that is more hygienic and better suited to long-term use.
The team also visited two secondary schools that have been converted into evacuation shelters, where a total of around 350 households were staying. Support organizations were also distributing meals there, helping to give the evacuation centers some sense of a daily routine. In addition, army responders had been providing free medical services around the clock since the disaster struck. But Peace Winds learned that there are still shortages of essential, everyday items, including cooking utensils, fuel, tableware, hygiene supplies, and even underwear.
In response, Peace Winds began providing cooking supplies to about 300 families sheltering at Sundari Kyorini Higher Secondary School. While government agencies are distributing food and water to evacuees, those who lost their homes still lack the tools to prepare meals. With supplies limited and so many people staying at the school, they were likely to run out quickly. So Peace Winds’ team has distributed kitchen sets, including small gas stoves, pressure cookers, and kitchen utensils, along with large gas tanks that will help families be able to cook for the next two to three months.
At each of the evacuation centers we visited, people appeared calm, and children were playing, almost as if their lives had hardly been disrupted. Those who have lost their homes and the foundations of their daily lives are trying to rebuild a sense of normalcy in their temporary surroundings.
But this sense of calm often hides the worries and difficulties that don’t disappear easily. As displacement continues, people will face a range of challenges, including financial instability, access to education, and their physical and mental well-being.
Supporting recovery requires more than delivering essential supplies. It also means creating environments where people can live safely and with dignity. Equally important is supporting local governments and residents themselves so they can take part in rebuilding their community.
Haruka Toda, a Peace Winds nurse in the field, explains:
“We visited evacuation centers with large numbers of people, but there may also be smaller shelters that no one has noticed. We have also heard that this school may reopen soon, so people will not be able to stay here indefinitely.”
“One person we met had been walking through the mud carrying more than 10 kg (22 lb) of food for their family. Some of their family members are still missing, but the person told us, ‘I’m doing everything I can just to get through today. I can’t think about what comes next.’I think the reality of what has happened will gradually become heavier, and the psychological distress they experience will likely grow.”
The situation and survivors’ needs vary from day to day and place to place. This requires our team to regularly monitor and adjust activities accordingly.
Looking ahead, Peace Winds will help with debris removal as well as infrastructure development around new temporary housing settlements. We will continue working to deliver the right support to those who need it, helping affected communities regain a safe and secure life as soon as possible.