David Harris
Second Nepal earthquake, JDC responds, on the ground
JDC Assessing New Nepal Quake Damage, Renews Urgent Call for Aid
NEW YORK, NY (May 12, 2015) – With news of another major earthquake striking Nepal today, this time near the country’s eastern border with China, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) called on the Jewish and international community to renew its efforts to ensure more aid to the beleaguered South Asian nation. JDC was immediately in touch with its representatives and partners on the ground, located in western Nepal—site of the greatest damage from the April 25th quake that killed thousands and impacted more than 8 million people—and in India, to assess damage and needs emerging from the new disaster zone.
“This latest earthquake is a heart-wrenching reminder of the urgency for the continued flow of aid to Nepal, a country that has not even begun to heal from the wounds of the first quake two weeks ago. This new development exacerbates existing challenges on the ground and renews deep fears and widespread trauma. Our hearts once again go out to the people of Nepal at this time of disaster and sorrow,” said Mandie Winston, Director of JDC’s International Development Program.
JDC and its partners have aided thousands since the first earthquake struck, ensuring medicine, food, water, hygiene products and shelter to survivors in Kathmandu and in remote villages in western Nepal. The organization was preparing fragile communities ahead of monsoon season and drawing up long term rehabilitation plans when the new 7.3 magnitude earthquake, emanating from a point near Mt. Everest, occurred. JDC has carried out a three-pronged plan in Nepal to date: the deployment of its expert disaster relief team to Nepal; the support of locally based partners to ensure medical care and relief supplies within days of the first quake; and the packing and shipping of medical and humanitarian supplies from the US.
JDC’s partners in Nepal include the IDF Field Hospital, Tevel b’Tzedek, UNICEF, the Afya Foundation, the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, Sarvodaya – Teach for Nepal, Heart to Heart International, and Magen David Adom.
JDC’s disaster relief programs are funded by special appeals of the Jewish Federations and tens of thousands of individual donors to JDC. JDC coordinates its relief activities with the US Department of State, USAID, Interaction, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli agencies, and the UN coordination mechanism OCHA.
Blog: On the Ground: Delivering Relief in Manikhel, Nepal
