All Hands Volunteers Launches Project Nepal: Responding to Two Devastating Earthquakes
NEW YORK, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Another earthquake, measuring 7.3 in magnitude, has struck Nepal, a country already devastated by the massive earthquake that hit on April 25th. Our Disaster Assessment Response Team, already on the ground from the first earthquake, had members in Kathmandu and Sindhupalchok when the quake hit. Initial reports from team members reveal that the aftermath of the second earthquake has made the situation very grave in these areas, especially Sindhupalchok, which is considered one of the most severely-affected regions. Despite the unpredictable and dangerous environment, All Hands is committed to staying in Nepal in order to provide as much support as possible.
Three days after the 7.8 earthquake struck on April 25th, All Hands Volunteers arrived in Nepal. Since then, our Response Team has coordinated 20-50 volunteers each day to support UNICEF, Save the Children and Catholic Relief Services in distributing thousands of emergency supplies (shelter, food, water, sanitation and hygiene kits) and creating child-friendly spaces in Kathmandu. Teams of volunteers have begun clearing debris within Kathmandu, and All Hands is coordinating with agencies and partners, on how best to manage and remove the massive amounts of rubble in the city. "The masses of rubble are so overwhelming for the locals, they do not even know where to begin," explained Sinah Keller, an All Hands' team leader.
Over the next few weeks, All Hands will continue to utilize volunteers already in Nepal. Volunteer information meetings are being held in Kathmandu to inform people about our response strategy and to provide every person who wants to help the opportunity to do so. Our goal is to open a program to enable international volunteers to assist with the clean-up, and we currently have a list of over 2,000 people from all over the world ready to help.
All Hands is committed to at least 18 months of recovery efforts. Our strategy is to provide long-term rebuild in Nepal, and our Assessment Team is investigating the areas of Gorkha, Dhading, and Sindhupalchok, which lie outside the Kathmandu and were heavily impacted by the earthquake. We are working diligently to secure funding to make this happen.
To complete a volunteer sign-up form or to donate to our ongoing efforts, please visit hands.org
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