Shelter, food and water being distributed to affected communities
Trócaire today committed an initial €100,000 to the Nepal emergency response. The organisation’s response is focused on getting shelter, food and water to people left homeless as a result of last Saturday’s devastating earthquake.
Trócaire has launched an emergency appeal in response to the earthquake and has requested the support of the public to raise money to deliver aid to those who need it. Donations can be made at trocaire.org or by phoning 1850,408 408 (RoI) or 0800 912 1200 (NI).
As a member of the global Caritas network of humanitarian agencies, donations received by Trócaire will go towards the Caritas response.
Noreen Gumbo, Trócaire’s Head of Humanitarian Programmes, said that aid is already reaching affected communities:
“Our partner organisations in Nepal have already begun distributing shelter, food and water to people left homeless by the earthquake. Food and water are also desperately needed. We are pledging an initial €100,000 to support their efforts and to ensure that more survivors are reached in these crucial days immediately following the earthquake. Sadly, the death toll in Nepal is likely to rise over the coming days as people are pulled from collapsed buildings and contact is made with more remote areas that have been cut-off due to the phone networks going down and damaged roads. Many thousands of people are homeless as a result of the earthquake. With over 60 aftershocks having hit Nepal since Saturday, people are too scared to go back inside and so an estimated one million people are sleeping in open spaces.”
Fr Pius Perumana, Director of Caritas Nepal, warned that the death toll could be three times as high as currently estimated:
“We are distributing the necessary things – tarpaulin, tents and food. People are in dire need. I have seen a lot of destruction, with so many buildings collapsed. People are still trapped in buildings and we don’t know whether they are dead or alive. Most of the shops and markets are closed so there is reduced availability of food, water and sanitary items. What the people need immediately is shelter. Temperatures are dropping at night and there is also rain. Children are sleeping outside at night. It is really traumatic for them. Over 3,000 are confirmed dead but I have heard estimates that it will be at least three times higher because we are still getting reports from outlying districts and villages where there are not communications facilities.”
ENDS
For media contact: Trócaire: Eoghan Rice, Communications Officer 00353 (1) 654 9113; Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678
