Just over one week on, aid is now being distributed. Teams from Plan International—the children's charity I work for—are working around the clock to ensure shelter kits reach the remote areas and in spite of the persistent aftershocks our response continues.
Of course, this is only the start of the recovery process. This journey will take years and billions of dollars, meaning the journey ahead will be a rough one. Plan has been working in this country since 1978 and we are committed to ensuring children and vulnerable people receive support as quickly as possible.
We must, however, remember that no matter how bad things look now, the children and their families attempting to get their lives back in order are survivors, not victims.
Since the earthquake struck, the people of Nepal—including my family and my friends—have pulled together to meet the needs of those affected, despite the adversity we are faced with. Sometimes that means sleeping in the car, because it's still frightening to go inside, but a new day will dawn and the work continues.
We have to continue to treat these survivors as agents of their own destinies. If we do this even in something as simple as the language we use to describe them, then we are on the right track. Yet words alone are not going to keep these children safe and healthy. The list of needs of these children at this trying time is long, but every detail matters.
Children may have been separated from their families and may have injured themselves. Their homes may be damaged or destroyed, and they may be deeply traumatized. As we assess the needs of communities and deliver relief, these needs will be among our top priorities.
At the moment, we are working with the government and local and international development partners to assess what support is required and where people are most in need. Those communities in the remotest parts of Nepal will struggle greatly in the coming months and years, so that's where we will focus our efforts.
People need roofs over their heads, even if these are only tarpaulins and tents. Most of the houses in these areas weren't built to withstand an earthquake of this magnitude, so people have been sleeping outside. Shelter is critical, especially as we are nearing monsoon season and the rains are already starting to fall.
With all this destruction, there has been extensive damage to the water supply. Getting access to clean, safe, potable drinking water will be extremely difficult, particularly for those living in rural areas, now cut off from the rest of the country. Part of our response will be reaching those communities and providing them water containers and water-purification kits.
This isn't a long-term solution, but for now, it will suffice and will prevent children and their families from contracting water-borne diseases, which can be deadly, particularly when you factor in that the country's healthcare system has been brought to its knees and medicine is in short supply.
Of course, along with water, people need to eat, which means getting supplies in from overseas is critical. Distributing this food is the next step. We will provide cash grants to buy food themselves where there are markets. Getting it to the hardest-hit areas presents many challenges but we are exploring options to extend our support.
Buildings have been decimated and this includes schools. Those schools left standing will mostly be used as shelters for displaced persons. This means there will be a period now where children can't go to school. This is troubling because it breaks the routine of these children and compounds whatever anxieties they are living through.
Though they may not show visible signs of duress, going through a major natural disaster like this earthquake is a stressful experience for children and can lead to long-term psychological effects. We will counter this by setting up child-friendly spaces and learning environments where children can go, be safe and do all the things children like to do.
In those child-friendly spaces and beyond, when you can talk to these children, listen to what they have to say, hear about their experiences and their hopes for the future, you will soon see that they are indeed survivors, fighters, champions, not victims.
The author is Country Director of Plan International Nepal
Related story
Worth of stories
-1778925320.webp)
