Rural areas devastated by Nepal quake

Rural areas devastated by Nepal quake

World Vision teams have managed to reach some of the most remote villages outside Kathmandu; finding extensive damage and urgent need for basic survival supplies.
Some of the most remote villages can be as much as a three-day walk from other towns, even when the roads are clear.

World Vision staff member Matt Darvas visited several towns near the epicenter of the earthquake yesterday, reporting that in one, all 176 homes were destroyed and 25 percent of the population were still missing.

Search and rescue operations have yet to move into these rural areas and time is running out for those who have not yet been found.

“Children are hungry. Their homes have collapsed and all of their food is buried underneath the rubble,” says Darvas. “These villages are scattered and dotted along steep mountainsides, and even helicopters are having difficulty landing with the heavy cloud cover”.

World Vision had emergency supplies prepositioned in Nepal. The humanitarian agency began distributing shelter materials and blankets to families yesterday.

Additional supplies are being airlifted from a regional warehouse in Dubai and include hygiene kits, cooking kits, mosquito nets, sleeping bags and water purification tablets.

World Vision has also established three Child Friendly Spaces where children can play in safety and receive trauma counselling.

ENDS

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