By way of a “thank you” from Oxfam for the £7,600 donated by Prospect members via the dedicated giving page, an Oxfam report on the situation in Nepal explains how the money is being spent in 7 of the worst hit districts providing clean water, emergency shelter and food. 

The two catastrophic earthquakes in Nepal flattened hundreds of villages. More than 8,000 people have been killed and 17,800 injured. Whilst dealing with the second quake humanitarian teams are ever conscious of the approaching monsoon rains in June which will compound the challenges facing the nation.

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In an email from Prospect member, Clare Hawkes, currently working with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) in Nepal, she described the quakes as terrifying and the devastation overwhelming.

Another Prospect member has strong links to Nepal through work with the Nepal Village Foundation. They work closely with Dalit and the poorest of the poor in rural villages. He points out that due to the scale of destruction – in the long term there is a lot of rebuilding to do.

Prospect staff at New Prospect House has raised £220 (with match funding bringing it to £440) toward the disaster relief fund.

The UN estimates that 8 million people in the South Asian country could be affected and the death toll could eventually reach 10,000. Many people are still feared to be trapped underneath rubble.

Oxfam already has teams working at four open air sites in the Kathmandu Valley, delivering safe water to people for drinking, washing and cooking, and digging holes for emergency latrines.

Over the coming days, the international aid agency will be expanding its efforts to a further 16 open air sites, which have been set up by the Nepalese government, and spreading its relief efforts outside of Kathmandu.

“Hundreds of thousands of people have suddenly been left without adequate food, water, shelter and medical care. They are understandably desperate. We need to act fast,” said Jane Cocking, Oxfam’s humanitarian director.

“The damage to the infrastructure is huge and is making delivering aid quickly really challenging; we are now beginning to reach out outside the centre of the Kathmandu Valley and looking into the needs of more remote areas.”

Prospect’s partnership with Oxfam stretches back 25 years and is a testament to the generosity and support of our members.

You can show your solidarity with the people of Nepal by making a donation to the emergency appeal on a special Prospect members’ webpage created by Oxfam.