Aid workers accounted for following second major earthquake

New Zealand Red Cross aid workers accounted for following second major earthquake in Nepal

New Zealand Red Cross has five aid workers in Nepal, who have been accounted for and are safe and well. They are part of an international Red Cross team in Nepal, which is now on high alert following yesterday’s 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck near the town of Namche Bazaar, at the base of Mount Everest.

New Zealand Red Cross IT and communications aid worker in Kathmandu Ewan Coldicott speaking on a satellite phone to staff in New Zealand last night said he and his Kiwi colleagues hid under desks, while the strong earthquake shook their building for about a minute.

“It was very scary, all you could hear was a lot of screaming. It reminded me of the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, but longer. I grabbed a bag of satellite phones and ran outside, as I knew that we would need them and phone lines appear to be down. Our priority was making sure everyone was safe and now we will be getting to work. New cracks have appeared in our building and like most people here, we will be spending tonight in tents outside and will do until hotels and buildings are known to be safe.”

Initial assessments by the Nepal Red Cross Society indicate that hundreds of homes have collapsed, many of which had already been damaged by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country two weeks ago. Regions already struggling to cope with the effects of the earlier earthquake were hit hard.

Martin Faller, head of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Asia Pacific, said the combination of rain and aftershocks were making the task of responding to the needs of communities a challenge.

“Today’s earthquake has dealt a double blow to many of the same people who were hit by the 25 April quake. More people will now be in need of emergency shelter but they will also need support dealing with the trauma they have experienced,” he said. “People are very scared.”

In Tatopani itself, the tented emergency hospital established by the Canadian Red Cross continued to provide basic health care while treating injuries caused during today’s earthquake.

Reports also indicate that there has been more damage to areas in the Kathmandu Valley. The Nepal Red Cross Society has mobilized emergency first aid teams in the Valley and team members are providing services to the injured including teams dispatched to Lalitpur and Bhaktapur where ambulances have been mobilized to transport the injured to hospitals.

New Zealand Red Cross has raised nearly $1.4 million for the Nepal earthquake appeal from members of the public, businesses and Nepali community groups. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also contributed $660,000 to support the Red Cross earthquake response. Given the initial assessment of the damage from the second earthquake, further relief will likely be required for affected communities and Red Cross is continuing to appeal for donations.

ENDS

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