NEPAL EARTHQUAKE 2015 Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation Emergency Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (issued on 25 May 2015) This report is produced based on preliminary records kept by volunteers. Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation – Nepal reserves the right to amend the figures given here to reflect possible future error corrections and omissions in our records. We will have a final report at the end of the rebuilding phase. Highlights o o o o o o By 11th May 2015, the Chokgyur Lingpa Foundation in Nepal (CGLF-N), in close collaboration with local partners and especially with the indispensable support from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery and its monks, had sent immediate disaster relief to at least 96 Village Development Committees (VDCs) and municipalities (including some within the greater Metropolitan Kathmandu area) spread out over 17 districts from as far east as Bhojpur to as far west as Jumla. The emphasis of relief efforts was on Sindhulpalchok because it had the highest number of deaths and injuries outside Kathmandu (3,424 and 859, respectively, according to UNHCR’s statistics as of 19 May 2015). As early as the day after the earthquake, Sunday 26 April 2015, a small group of volunteers from CGLF-N, who were part of the reconnaissance team sent by Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche, had already started to provide emergency first aid to around 40 severely injured victims coming down from surrounding high altitude villages in the Yolmo/Helambu VDCs to the Melamchi Bazaar Army Helipad Camp. The most severe cases were quickly evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in Kathmandu. By the end of the first week after the first earthquake, our two teams of volunteers in close cooperation with other foreign volunteer doctors in the Sindhupalchok District had already given triage medical care to as much as 680 severely injured victims. The government health post in Melamchi Bazaar took our donated medicine and further assisted another 800 casualties who kept coming into the Army Camp in waves by helicopter medivacs, trucks and vehicles, and on foot. Immediately after receiving medical care and medicine, every victim wanted tents and tarpaulins to make temporary shelter. Despite the severe shortage that eventually developed in Kathmandu, CGLFN managed to send out at least 11,000+ individual tarpaulins and tents of varying sizes, which we conservatively estimate will shelter at least 22,000+ families from heat and monsoon rain. Finally, we also sent out dried food (rice, lentils, salt, noodles, and biscuits), cooking oil, clothing, and solar lamps. The most sought-after staple was rice of which we sent out slightly more than 45 metric tons. By 11 May we have spent a total of NRs. 21 million (roughly USD210,000) for the emergency disaster relief described above. Background At 11:56 a.m. on Saturday 25 April 2015, the landlocked Himalayan country of Nepal suffered a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that irrevocably changed the country on multiple levels, from external physical appearance down to the deepest level of consciousness of its inhabitants and visitors. Although most people here knew that Nepal is prone to tremors and expected a big earthquake, all of us were caught by surprise and less-than-ideally prepared. Just when many of us were beginning to think that things were returning to normal, the second earthquake of 7.3 magnitude hit us again on Tuesday 12 May. Many of the weaker structures that were already weakened by the first quake completely collapsed after the second quake. To date, the combined effects of both earthquakes and their associated aftershocks have killed more than 8,600 people and injured over 17,800 (as reported by the UNOCHA on 19 May). More than half a million people have lost their dwellings especially those living at high altitude. In hindsight, we count our blessings that the worst was avoided because the first earthquake occurred on a mild lazy spring Saturday at noon. Had it been a freezing winter or damp monsoon weekday or midnight, the mortality (deaths) and morbidity (injuries) would have been incalculably higher because of the high CGLF Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (25 May 2015) Page | 1 density of people working or sleeping indoors. Furthermore, the capital city Kathmandu survived the seismic event with many of the buildings still upright but not necessarily sound structurally. Hence, the central government in the capital and its international airport were able to restart and support initial search and rescue activities followed by immediate relief efforts. Similarly the second earthquake also happened at noon so casualties were far fewer than anticipated. As news and rumors started coming in on the afternoon of Saturday 25 April during the first earthquake, we realized that many of Nepal’s remote but picturesque high altitude villages were either thoroughly flattened or simply carried away by landslides. Among the unfortunate casualties was the mother of our much loved Chant Master, Ven. Nhono, from the village of Jaten in the Sindhupalchok District. The normally reserved and soft-spoken Ven. Nhono broke down and cried as he informed Kyabgon Phakchok Rinpoche of his family tragedy and begged for immediate assistance. In response, on Sunday 26th April, Rinpoche immediately sent Ven. Nhono, Khenpo Tsondru Zangpo, Ven. Ratna Mangalam, Gilad and Lana as a small rapid response reconnaissance team to assess the damage in the Sindhupalchok District. From this seemingly small request of Ven. Nhono came the resulting miraculous efforts by the intrepid and compassionate Rinpoches, monks, staff, volunteers and donors of the Chokgyur Linpa Foundation. Expenditures & Funding By 11 May CGLF-N had spent a grand total of NRs. 21 million (roughly USD 210,000) of which almost half was for tarpaulins and tents to make into temporary shelters for the victims. To bring food and shelter Disaster Relief Expenses Up to 11 May 2015 2% 4% 6% Tarps/tents 1% Transportation 1% 18% 42% Food Medicine Other supplies Clothing/blanket 26% Other Expense Donations (Pay out) relief supplies to the most critical victims at the most remote and inaccessible high altitude villages, we had to spend NRs. 1.9 million to charter commercial helicopters four times to supply five VDCs in upper Gorhka District (epicenter of the main earthquake), once to Chilim in Rasuwa District, once to Yangri in Sindhupalchok, and another 1.5 trips to Lapagaon in Dhading District in collaboration with a local NGO. Therefore, the total cost of ground and air transportation consumed slightly more than a quarter of our expenses. The third most significant expense, almost a fifth of the total, was for emergency food supplies. Medicine by comparison took only approximately 6% of expenditure. Lastly, Rinpoche gave away small token donations to the most discriminated and neglected segment of the victims, the Dalits (‘untouchables’) , who are sadly considered to be the lowest of all humans in society here. Rinpoche also gave out varying amounts of donations to several monasteries to get them started right away on rebuilding. These donations in total came to about 1% of our overall expenses. Even before the news media could put up gripping pictures and harrowing tales, worldwide donations were already coming in unasked. By 11 May, our records show that we had already received donations and pledges in all of our associated accounts of USD 463,000. Hence, we have a balance of USD 253,000 that CGLF Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (25 May 2015) Page | 2 we will now apply towards light relief works and rebuilding of dwellings, schools, health posts, and temples, as shown in the next section.. Future Work What took a lifetime or more to build up was torn asunder in less than two minutes. The immediate manic phase of search and rescue and the frenetic phase of disaster relief are essentially over. Now comes the hard part for survivors; trying in the short term to make it through the fast approaching monsoon, and in the long term address the most daunting task of rebuilding their devastated lives and livelihoods. What follows presents the briefest outline of what we intend to do in the next three to six months. By the end of May, we will have completed scouting for remote high altitude villages that we can partner or collaborate with to help people help themselves rebuild their communities. CGLF-N will provide only professional and technical advice, a token amount of building material, and tools as "starter" or "seeds" for the villagers to rebuild their own lives and livelihoods. We do not intend to undertake reconstruction ourselves. We will provide support for three months, just long enough for the villagers to stand up and continue on their own. We have already received verbal commitments for help from well-respected local architects, civil, and structural engineers. We will recruit a structural engineer specially trained in earthquake engineering who will provide technical assistance pro bono in order to meld the best of modern technical know-how with ancient proven wisdom. We will hire (by providing a small honorarium) young Nepalese civil engineers to be onsite technical consultants and project managers. CGLF-N will oversee and monitor the overall progress and outcome. As we work out the details in close consultation with the villagers and our local experts, we will share more information with you, our project collaborators, funders and donors. Acknowledgements We most gratefully acknowledge the ineffable blessings and protection of our spiritual leaders, all the revered Rinpoches at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. We are inspired and delighted by the fearless compassion of our monks who immediately sprang into action to put up tarps to shelter, protect, and care for everybody who sought refuge at our premises in Boudhanath. When asked to immediately go up to the remote high altitude villages, our monks took their rucksacks and jumped into their vehicles without hesitation to go into the unknown. From dawn till night, our tireless monks continuously helped purchase, receive, store, sort, retrieve, pack, and deliver relief supplies. We are awed by the resourcefulness and unrelenting commitment of our volunteer doctors, medics, nurses, interpreters and drivers, who were so focused on the plight of the victims that they practically forgot to eat and relieve themselves. The commitment and devotion of the crew of lay volunteers, both Nepalese and foreign, was impressive to see. Ignoring their own fear and a whole host of other emotions, they cheerfully worked shoulder to shoulder with our monks to serve the seemingly endless stream of victims coming to our office requesting aid and assistance. Our efforts here on the ground were only made possible by the vital stream of generous donations in cash and kind from donors worldwide who gave unstintingly and unasked. We are blessed indeed to have such friends and patrons. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and sincerely thank all our individual & group donors, NGOs and foundations supporting us from worldwide for this relief work. We are also happy to have had the privilege of working closely with the tireless Nepalese Army personnel at the Melamchi Bazaar Helipad Camp. Whenever necessary they could be counted on to provide us with ground and air transportation, security escorts and advice during our short stint at Melamchi Bazaar. Their professionalism and reliability are truly the pride of Nepal and well deserving of our respect, especially during these trying times. CGLF Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (25 May 2015) Page | 3 We gratefully acknowledge the invaluable professional services and camaraderie of the doctors from the Polish Center for International Aid (PCPM). Their arrival at the Melamchi Bazaar Army Helipad Camp greatly enhanced and upgraded the capabilities of the army field hospital. By pooling all of our resources, the army and volunteer medics treated about 600 casualties. Half of them were severe enough to require subsequent hospitalization. Furthermore, we very much appreciate the thoughtful hospitality that CMC Cooperative Muratorie Cementisti di Ravenna offered to our volunteers during our brief visits to Melamchi Bazaar. Their food and shelter, and the storage space they provided for us to temporarily protect our medicine and relief supplies during the most chaotic and difficult times will always be remembered with gratitude. We would be remiss if we did not thank the overall coordinator of the relief efforts in Nepal, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and all of their esteemed partners and funders. The data, maps, infographics, reports, papers, and so forth provided at their family of websites have been both indispensable and illuminating. Lastly, with utmost sincerity and humility, we express our gratitude to the proud and strong Nepalese survivors of these earthquakes. It is in concert with their courage and strength that we are able to practice compassion, loving kindness, generosity, patience and wisdom, and relearn the simple universal truths of impermanence, death, and selflessness. May all be auspicious, Sarva Mangalam. CGLF Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (25 May 2015) Page | 4 Addendum - Supporting Data Table 1: Summary of Areas that Received Disaster Aid from CGLF-N District HQ Total VDCs sn District/Municipality Village Development Committees (VDC) Served 1 Bhaktapur Bhaktapur Nagarkot 1 2 Bhojpur Bhojpur Keemalung? 1 3 Dhading Dhadingbesi Darkha, Nalang, Semdhung 3 4 Dolakha Charikot Boch, Busaphedi, Dodhapokhari, Jhule, Jiri, Katakuti, Lakuridanda, Mali 8 5 Dolpa (aka. Dolpo) Dunai Saldang?, Statart? 2 6 Gorkha Gorkha Bihi, Chunchet, Lho, Prok, Samagaun 5 7 Jumla Jumla Khalanga 1 Kathmandu 9 Kathmandu Kavrepalanchok (aka. Kavre, Kabhrepalanchok) Budhanilkantha, Chapali Bhadrakali, Dakshinkali, Gokaneshwor, Gongabu, Jorpati, Metropolitan Kathmandu, Kopan, Sankhu, Sitapaila, Sundarijal Dhulikhel Dhulikhel, Jaisithok Mandan, Nagre Gagarche, Palanchok, Panchkhal, Phoksindar, Rayalebhir, Sathighar Bhagawati 8 10 Khotang Diktel Sundel? 1 11 Lalitpur Lalitpur Bhattedanda, Bukhel, Chapagaun, Gimdi, Lubhu 5 12 Makawanpur Hetauda Daman, Markhu 2 13 Bidur Belkot, Beteni, Bungtang, Chaturale, Gerkhu, Kabilas, Kakani, Mahakali 8 14 Nuwakot Ramechap (aka. Ramechhap) Manthali Bamti, Bethan, Doramba, Gelu, Gumdel 5 15 Rasuwa Dhunche Bhorle, Chilime, Gatlang, Goljung, Syaphru, Yarsa 6 Chautara Attapur, Banskharka, Baramchae, Barhabise, Baruwa, Bhotang, Chautara, Dubachaur (aka Dubhachaur), Golche, Gumba, Ghunsakot, Gunsakun, Helambu, Ichok, Kadambas, Kiul, Lisangkhu, Melamchi Municipality, Palchok, Pangtang, Phulpingkati, Sunkhani, Tatopani, Thakani, Thapalkot, Thulo Dhading, Thulo Sirubari 8 16 Sindhupalchok (aka. Sindupulchowk) 17 Solukhumbu Golla, Khumjung 11 27 2 Grand Total of VDCs, Municipalities Served (Including Metro Kathmandu) 96 Table 2: Triage Medical Care and Benefit Date Days After 1st Quake 4/26 +1 Venue Melamchi Bazaar Army Helipad Camp, Sindhupalchok District Est. # of Victims Treated 40 4/28-30 +3 to 5 Team#1 at Melamchi Bazzar Army Helipad Camp, Sindhupalchok 4/28-30 +3 to 5 Team#2 up at remote Jatan village, Sindhupalchok 40 Yangri Village, Sindhupalchok 80 5/1 5/7-9 +6 +12 to 14 Villages around town of Bagam and Listi in Tatopani VDC in Sindhupalchok Total # of Casualties who Benefited Directly from Triage Medical Care 600 80 840 Note: This table does not include the benefits of a group of Singaporean doctors and nurses who went up to Timbhu, Sindhupalchok and Tara Bhir, Kathmandu as part of a medical camp during the week of 4 May. They will be submitting their report later. Table 3: Temporary Shelter and Benefit Size Tarps/ Tents Families Helped Est. # of Victims Small 6,160 6,160 30,800 Medium 3,500 10,500 52,500 Large 1,500 6,000 30,000 Total 11,160 22,660 113,300 Note: The small, medium, and large tents can each accommodate one, three, and four families, respectively. Each family is assumed to consist on average of five persons, namely, a husband and wife with three children. CGLF Disaster Relief Preliminary Report (25 May 2015) Page | 5
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