Image source: Relief Web
International aid organizations wasted no time stepping up to help the hundreds of thousands affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday.
While the Nepalese government has yet to ask other countries for help, that hasn't stopped relief groups from mobilizing people and resources to help those affected by the quake in Kathmandu and surrounding areas. Many survivors need food, shelter and medical attention, while rescue workers could use assistance sifting through the rubble in search of survivors and the bodies of the dead.
As aid organizations offer their help to Nepal, they are calling for donations to assist in their efforts. Here are some groups with support capabilities in Nepal:
UNICEF
UNICEF Canada says it has "prepositioned" emergency supplies in Nepal to help children and families affected by the disaster. Those supplies include tarps, nutritional supplies, water purification tablets and hygiene kits to keep survivors healthy in the aftermath of the earthquake.
"We've quickly set up a fund for life-saving supplies and services," UNICEF Canada spokesperson Andrea Ramhit told CTV News by email.
UNICEF is accepting donations for its Nepal relief efforts on its website.
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross says it has people on the ground in Nepal to treat those injured in the earthquake. The organization is accepting donations from individuals or businesses who wish to make one-time or monthly contributions to the effort.
CARE Canada
CARE Canada has more than 150 staff in Nepal to help survivors find access to food, water and shelter, the relief agency said in a statement. CARE workers are building temporary shelters, providing ready-to-eat meals, setting up toilets and purifying water for those displaced by the quake.
"All of the particularly vulnerable – children, breastfeeding mothers, people with chronic diseases – they have been suffering a lot," CARE emergency response coordinator Santosh Sharma said. "It's essential to get help to these people as quickly as we can."
Sharma adds that medical supplies "are an urgent need" and more than 40,000 people are being treated in hospital.
Many people are afraid to enter their homes for fear of triggering a collapse, he said.
"Almost everyone has slept outside and they are creating temporary shelters with what they have," he said.
CARE Canada is accepting tax-deductible donations to help with its relief efforts in Nepal.
Save the Children
Save the Children has an ongoing Emergency Relief for Children fund set aside to give the organization "flexibility" to respond to disasters that affect children.
The organization's Australian branch is calling for Nepal-specific donations to help pay for hygiene kits, buckets, jerry cans, kitchen kits and tarpaulins for shelter.
World Vision Canada
World Vision is helping children and families gain access to food, shelter, clean water and other basic necessities. World Vision Canada is calling for donations to help provide "lifesaving essentials" to the disaster-stricken people of Nepal.
Plan Canada
Plan Canada is calling for donations to support earthquake survivors through Plan International Nepal. Mattias Bryneson of Plan International Nepal says his staff are worknig to address "core needs" for the survivors.
"It's dark now in Kathmandu, and power is out in most areas," Bryneson said in a statement. "It seems as though the entire city is outside, sleeping on the streets."
Doctors Without Borders
Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) says it is sending four teams of medical and logistical staff to Nepal to help those affected by the quake. MSF is also shipping 3,000 emergency and medical kits to the country.
SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages says it's dedicating its resources to helping children who have been forced from their homes, separated from their families or who are not getting sufficient care as a result of the disaster.
"We don't want to see any child alone in Nepal as a result of this tragedy," president and CEO Boyd McBride said in a statement.
SOS Children's Villages says it will offer "child-friendly spaces" where children and their parents can receive food, clothing, shelter and healthcare.
The group put out a call for donations in the wake of the quake.
UN's World Food Programme
The World Food Programme says on average it assists some 90 million people in around 80 countries. In Nepal, WFP has specialized logistics and emergency response teams on the ground and teams are distributing food to the survivors. To help support their work in Nepal, please go to: wfp.org/Nepal.
Action Against Hunger Canada (Action Contre la Faim)
In Nepal since 2011 due to an extreme level of acute malnutrition in children under five, Action Against Hunger Canada teams are participating in rescue-and-recovery operations. An additional 11 team members have since been deployed to the quake-struck region.
ACF says donations are urgently needed to support first response for water, sanitation and hygiene equipment, food and non-food items (ie - cooking equipment), and shelter for those affected by the earthquake. To learn more about their efforts, please visit ACF's website.
Canadian Government
The Canadian government has pledged $5 million to help with Nepal's disaster relief efforts.
Foreign Affairs Assistance
“Canadian citizens in Nepal requiring emergency consular assistance should use the Registration of Canadians Abroad (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration) service, and contact the Consulate of Canada in Kathmandu, Nepal, by calling + 977 (1) 444-1976, or Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling +1 613-996-8885 (collect calls are accepted where available). An email can also be sent to sos@international.gc.ca.
“Friends and relatives in Canada who are concerned about Canadian citizens known to be in the affected area should contact Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre by calling 1-800-387-3124 (toll-free) or 613-996-8885 (collect calls are accepted) or sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca.”
Google Person-Finder for Nepal
