Aid agencies in Nepal are in a race against time to deliver much-needed food to villages destroyed by last week’s earthquake. This used to be Ram's
ADVERTISEMENTAid agencies in Nepal are in a race against time to deliver much-needed food to villages destroyed by last week’s earthquake.
This used to be Ram's farm. 60% of
UNDPNepal</a>'s entrepreneurs lost everything in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NepalQuake?src=hash">#NepalQuake</a>: <a href="http://t.co/xqRXtDKXpK">http://t.co/xqRXtDKXpK</a> <a href="http://t.co/gmEjf0DVjR">pic.twitter.com/gmEjf0DVjR</a></p>— UN Development (UNDP) April 30, 2015
Pictures filmed using a drone show villages completely flattened about 80km from the capital Kathmandu. That is not a great distance, but the terrain makes it very difficult to get to some places. “We have not reached many of the communities that are in tougher areas that we’re now moving to address the challenges that those populations have because of the earthquake,” says
Ertharin Cousin from the UN World Food Programme. “ We’re working against the clock, and that clock is set by the monsoons. Our failure to reach those populations before the monsoons would eliminate any ability to provide them with shelter, food and other needs.”
One of the most important needs is vaccinations to prevent the outbreak of diseases such as measles. The World Health Organisation has sent teams to the area to address the problem. The WHO says the situation is not yet critical, but there is a high chance of an outbreak of diarrhoea and other illnesses.
Meanwhile one week on from the deadly earthquake people in Kathmandu held a vigil on Saturday in remembrance of the victims, who number 6,500 so far.