Nepal Earthquake Recovery Fact Sheet

Speeches Shim

USAID’s commitment to Nepal has stood the test of time. In the aftermath of the devastating April 25 earthquakes that shook Nepal, our commitment remains stronger than ever.On June 25, 2015, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced $130 million to support Nepal’s earthquake relief and recovery needs. This contribution builds upon USAID’s investments on disaster preparedness, and is only the beginning of our contribution to Nepal’s earthquake recovery, which will span multiple years. Current efforts on earthquake recovery include:

SUPPORT FOR HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

  • Nearly 300 masons trained on building earthquake-resistant shelters in four districts to help people get back into their homes and reduce the risk of similar damage in future disasters. Over the next five years, new and expanded USAID programs will train an estimated 13,500 local masons, hundreds of carpenters and engineers, and orient over 285,000 affected homeowners on building earthquake-resistant homes.
  • USAID’s resilience program expanded to nine districts in the earthquake zone and has already supported 600 hard-hit families through cash-for-work infrastructure development activities in five districts. This program will also train local masons in Sindhupalchok and Kavrepalanchok districts.
  • USAID’s contribution to the World Bank Nepal Earthquake Reconstruction Multi-Donor Trust Fund will directly support the Government-led beneficiary survey in the 14 most-affected districts, as well as the provision of housing reconstruction cash grants to affected homeowners.

HEALTH CARE ACCESS AND WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE SERVICES

  • USAID’s integrated nutrition program used its established networks in much of the earthquake-impacted zone to immediately deliver emergency assistance to people in need. Assistance so far includes: establishing 30 out-patient therapeutic feeding centers in five earthquake-affected districts; screening nearly 84,000 children under 5 for malnutrition, of which 3,000 were treated for acute malnutrition; and counseling nearly 40,000 mothers, caregivers, pregnant, and postnatal women on breastfeeding and maternal nutrition. The program constructed temporary latrines in relief camps to reduce the risk of diseases, while also deploying 25 Community Medical Assistants and distributing tarpaulins, baby kits, food, and water purification solutions in 13 districts.
  • With more women giving birth outside of health facilities and with little or no access to health care services, USAID supplied 42,500 life-saving Chlorhexidine gel tubes for inclusion in the Clean Delivery Kits distributed in the most affected districts. The gel is applied to the umbilical cord stump of newborns to prevent infection.
  • USAID provided 5,727 physiotherapy sessions and 529 assistive devices such as prostheses to those injured by the earthquake, and extended its outreach rehabilitation treatment care to approximately 1,000 people injured by the earthquake in other highly affected districts.
  • Through USAID partners, nearly 81,000 sachets of oral rehydration salts, 11,300 bottles of Piyush (a water disinfectant), and nearly 400 Clean Delivery Kits for safe child were delivered in all 14 districts.
  • USAID’s health program supports recovery efforts in 10 affected districts, including partnering with local government institutions in their planning process to reinstate health services. The program will place a long-term technical advisor in the Ministry of Health and Population to support national-level coordination of relief efforts.
Pre-Earthquake Disaster Risk Reduction Initiatives: a Snapshot
  • Pre-positioned supplies, including plastic sheets, blankets, clothes, and kitchen supplies, were maintained in warehouses in 12 strategic locations throughout Nepal and distributed immediately post-earthquake.
  • In 2013, 83 open spaces were identified and prepared in Kathmandu Valley with support from USAID, many of which were extensively used as distribution centers and camps after the earthquake.
  • USAID mobilized over 1,100 professional emergency responders from across the country.
  • Four-hundred (400) Teaching Hospital staff trained in disaster preparedness and a seismic-proof blood bank constructed.
  • Invested in training more than 4,000 people to conduct risk assessments and develop earthquake-preparedness plans for schools, hospitals, and airport and transportation authorities, as well as raising public awareness for the use of “go bags.”
  • Helped the government develop a debris management plan involving nine pre-identified sites for rubble disposal in Kathmandu.
  • Supported the construction of seven new deep tube wells within the Kathmandu Valley.
  • Trained more than 7,500 masons, as well as municipality staff and building contractors, on seismically safe construction and building code compliance.

EDUCATION – GETTING CHILDREN BACK IN SCHOOL

  • To create safe learning spaces, USAID is funding the establishment of over 1,000 temporary learning centers (TLC) in 10 of the 14 most affected districts. The TLC sites also receive teaching and learning materials, psychosocial training support for teachers, and water and sanitation facilities.
  • USAID worked with Save the Children and UNICEF to establish 132 child-friendly spaces in 13 most-affected districts, providing protected environments to an estimated 12,600 vulnerable children.

REBUILDING LIVELIHOODS AND SUPPORTING FOOD SECURITY

  • To meet the immediate needs of farm communities in the 14 affected districts, USAID is providing essential agricultural supplies and technical expertise, including 50,000 grain storage bags, 40 soft plastic cocoons for community grain storage, 400 mini-tillers, and other modern agricultural tools. USAID also offers training to local mechanics on the maintenance of the power tools, use of community garden kits, along with advice for better crop production.
  • USAID supported the UN World Food Program (WFP) to deliver emergency food assistance operations in remote corners of Nepal. USAID also provided short-term livelihoods support for 2,250 food-insecure households in five districts through ACTED.
  • The USAID-funded Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab provided seeds and seedlings, durable shelter materials, and training to 2,300 Nepalis to help minimize economic shocks in two districts.
  • USAID is restoring animal health services in five districts most heavily impacted by the earthquake, benefiting approximately 60,000 people. Another USAID-funded integrated nutrition program is supporting the reestablishment of poultry farms and vegetable gardens in six districts.

SUPPORTING GOVERNANCE AND PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE

  • To prevent increased human trafficking after the earthquake, USAID’s Combating Trafficking in Persons program conducted vulnerability assessments in five districts, and expanded to six additional earthquake-affected districts associated with an increased risk for gender-based violence (GBV), unsafe migration, and human trafficking. Efforts focus on community rehabilitation through psychosocial support, increased awareness of human trafficking and GBV, promotion and creation of economic/livelihood opportunities to help victims rebuild their lives, provision of legal support, and increased access to rehabilitation services and resources available from the Nepali government.
  • To help increase government transparency and accountability on recovery spending, USAID expanded its local governance program to six affected districts in an effort to increase communication and coordination between local government officials and community leaders. The program will provide medium-term post-disaster support, including preparation of recovery and reconstruction plans by Village Development Committees.
  • USAID’s governance program supported civil society groups to monitor budget allocation, spending, and the status of vulnerable groups in displacement camps, as well as capacity building to coordinate donor/NGO support.
  • USAID’s biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation program is helping ensure that recovery and reconstruction efforts do not have unintended negative effects on the environment. For instance, the program encourages sustainable harvesting of timber from community forests for reconstruction.