Nepal marks third anniversary of Gorkha earthquake

On April 25, 2015 a severe earthquake struck the city of Kathmandu in central Nepal, killing 9,000 people and destroying 600,000 homes. Hundreds of children in the region were left without parental care when their parents were killed or abandoned them in the ensuring chaos and destruction.

SOS Children’s Villages, who have had a presence in the region since 1972, were on the scene providing emergency relief to children and families, including basic supplies such as food and hygiene kits, education for children whose schools had been destroyed or classes disrupted by the disaster and child-friendly spaces for traumatised children to recuperate, play, study and receive psycho-social support.

While many of the aid agencies and organisations that helped during the crisis have now left Nepal, SOS Children’s Villages long-term recovery projects are ongoing.  So far, their emergency response programme has helped more than 28,000 people and rebuilt almost 300 family homes and nine schools in affected areas.

SOS Children’s Villages has also provided 400 children left parentless by the disaster with the chance to grow up in a caring and supportive family environment, with access to education and healthcare. Most are being cared for by their extended families through the ‘kinship-care’ programme which offers financial, practical and emotional support to families living in poverty.

National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Nepal Ishwori Prasad Sharma said: “Life is still difficult for families affected by the earthquake. Many families lost their homes and livelihoods and have been left living in temporary shelters which are extremely cold in winter and unbreakably hot in the summer. We are helping to build 287 family homes and our livelihood support programme means families can earn an income while they rebuild their lives.

“We have also been working with the community to train them how to respond in an emergency and build resilience and sustainability. We want to have a long-term impact so if there is another disaster, people are better prepared.”

SOS Children’s Villages emergency response in Nepal has so far provided:

• Emergency aid and recovery to 28,300 people
• Child-friendly spaces for 2,000 children
• Kinship-care for 346 children
• Family-based care for 50 parentless children in SOS village communities
• Homes for 287 families through our home-building programme
• School uniforms, classroom supplies and hygiene items for 4,300 children
• Extra classes for 1,400 children whose education was interrupted

You can find out more information about SOS Children’s Villages emergency relief operations here.

Notes to editors:
For media enquiries please contact Lucy Prioli at Lucy.Prioli@sosuk.org or on 01223 222 974.