April 26 2015

Nepal earthquake relief underway at SOS villages

SOS Children's Villages Nepal emergency relief teams have begun to help hundreds of people at two locations close to the earthquake's epicenter.

Nepal - SOS Children’s Villages Nepal emergency teams have set up rescue camps in Kavre and Jorpati, where they have begun to deliver first aid, food and water to victims of the earthquake that struck the Kathmandu valley on Saturday, 25 April, injuring and killing thousands.


SOS Children's Villages is active in 10 locations in Nepal. Map: SOS Archives

SOS Children’s Village Sanothimi, SOS Children’s Village Jorpati and SOS Children’s Village Kavre are the closest SOS villages to the earthquake's epicentre.

Initial reports from the National Director of SOS Nepal indicate that no SOS children, mothers or staff were harmed, and that damage to SOS Children’s Villages infrastructure was minimal.
 

The Nepal earthquake in pictures


Approximately 40 SOS Children's Villages co-workers on the ground are contributing to the emergency relief effort. That number will increase in the next few days.

In Kavre, the SOS team will be operating a rescue camp in cooperation with the local army. So far, the co-workers have provided first aid, food and water to more than 100 people including about 50 children.

SOS Children’s Village Jorpati is also providing first aid, food and water, and has set-up tents to shelter displaced people. Between two and three hundred people came for help in the first day following the earthquake.

"We have started reaching the earthquake site to assess the situation and are helping by providing some food and drinking water and preliminary health care to the people who have no home after the earthquake,” explained SOS Children’s Villages Nepal National Director Shankar Shree Pradhananga.

No unaccompanied or separated children have arrived at the SOS Children’s Villages camps yet, but that could soon change.

“Our thoughts are with the many children and adults affected by this tragedy, as the death toll is rising by the hour,” said SOS Children’s Villages International CEO Richard Pichler.

He added that SOS Children’s Villages will work with local partners to reunite unaccompanied and separated children with their family members, and to provide quality family-based care for children and young people who have been orphaned as a result of the earthquake.

SOS Children’s Villages has been working in Nepal for over 30 years. The organisation has been serving some 10,000 children and adults through family strengthening programmes, and also provides direct family-based care, education and health care for more than 1,500 children and young people who have lost parental care.

Seven SOS Children’s Villages are located within 50 km of the area hardest hit by the earthquake.

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