Early response to earthquake has been critical to rebuilding
Live update – where to start!?
Finally we got some tents, only 516 but something is better than nothing. More should arrive tonight for distribution tomorrow. The 516 were taken today to the Gorkha area. At Gorkha they had another earthquake today that killed 25 more people who must have been in houses that were already damaged.
Bhim and Parbat were able to go to Sindhupalchok, they had Army with them for security, and were supported by the Red Cross who have the overall responsibility for security etc for distribution. They went to one area where the people said that 3 Angels was the first to bring them enough food for a few days. Others had given a little but not even enough for one meal for their families. Some of our friends in Kathmandu joined with Bhim and Parbat and helped with the distribution. Bhim and Parbat will stay in Kathmandu tonight and come back tomorrow. The people were so very very grateful.
Locally our team fed around 330 people two meals today, some of our ladies went to the hospital to bathe the patients as apparently this is not done. When giving out the food they found that some people were badly injured and unable to feed themselves so our staff physically fed those patients. Everyone likes the 3 Angels food.
The assessment from the Childrens Homes in Kathmandu is bad – they found that 30 to 40 percent of orphanages don’t have any food and in some those in charge ran away and left the children uncared for. The assessment team is taking these children out of the buildings where they have been as they are not safe. Our tents that should arrive tonight will be taken to Kathmandu to house these children, it sounds like there are about one thousand and twelve children in dire straights. Forty children were in such horrific conditions that they have been taken away immediately. Another problem is it is raining in Kathmandu. This afternoon we had a bad storm here with extremely strong winds, I was thinking of the people in tents or out in the open. I was remembering back to pathfinder camps and being in tents in bad weather. Another organisation has been asked to provide water for the orphans in Kathmandu.
regards from Helen