More than 80 Handicap International staff members including logistics experts, physical therapists, and emergency coordinators are now supporting earthquake victims and distributing supplies.
We have already provided care to more than 400 injured people in four hospitals in the districts of Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Baktapur. Staff conducted an assessment in Nuwakot sector, west of Kathmandu, where they distributed equipment and provided care to injured people. They also registered the injured to coordinate their follow-up care, as well as the provision equipment and supplies such as walking aids, essential household items, and blankets.
This week, staff will distribute 500 “essential needs” kits containing sheets, blankets, cooking equipment, and toiletries to families who have lost everything in the disaster. Five hundred additional kits are being sent to Nepal from our warehouse in Dubai.
Plans for Further Action
1. Over the next four months, Handicap International plans to provide rehabilitation to at least 1,500 injured people and train 1,200 of their family members or friends to care for them. During an emergency, basic help from a survivor’s family and friends aids their recovery and helps prevent the development of permanent disabilities. The organization will also supply ten healthcare facilities with equipment and train staff to care for the injured.
2. In addition to helping the injured, the organization plans to help 7,000 highly vulnerable people, including people with disabilities, the sick, and the elderly. Teams will travel to villages, some in extremely remote areas, to identify the most vulnerable people, assess their needs, and connect them to hospitals, health centers, and humanitarian organizations that can provide them with services and aid they need.
3. Handicap International will work with other humanitarian aid organizations to ensure they take into account the needs of the injured, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups that might have trouble accessing aid.
4. In coordination with the World Food Program, Handicap International will provide logistics support and set up a network of trucks and storage bases to transport, store, and distribute food and equipment for NGOs and UN agencies working in Nepal. This network will allow humanitarian organizations to pool their resources and respond to the earthquake in a coordinated fashion.