Habitat’s disaster response teams are assessing the situation in Nepal after the devastating earthquake that hit on Saturday. Because we have been in the country for several years, we plan to be involved in long-term response efforts. This includes coordinating efforts to get temporary shelter to families (more information is below in the press release from Habitat for Humanity International). The map below shows the epicenter of the earthquake was in the middle of the capital of Kathmandu and Pokhara. Help Habitat LA to raise funds for Nepal by making a donation HERE. You can also ask your friends and family to join you by sharing the link or asking them to text NepalQuake, their donation amount and name to 41444. An example of what the body of your text message should look like: NepalQuake $50 Jane Doe.
Raising awareness by having supporters tweet and share about Habitat’s response over the next few days can save lives and provide funding for the long-term rebuilding that will be necessary.
If you’d like to help support our efforts, please tweet and share the following:
Donate to @HabitatLA to support those affected by the #NepalQuake: http://igfn.us/f/ggf/n #RebuildNepal #PrayforNepal
Any support you can lend would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for helping us get help to those who need it most. We have a strong presence in Nepal and vast experience responding to natural disasters in the region.
ATLANTA (April 26, 2015) – Habitat for Humanity will assist families affected by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which struck Nepal on Saturday, resulting in widespread damage.
The Nepali government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas. As of April 26, Nepali authorities have reported more than 2,400 people dead and many are injured. Those numbers are expected to grow as the impact of the earthquake becomes better known.
Habitat disaster response teams are assessing the situation and coordinating response operations with local government agencies and disaster relief partners. Habitat will assemble and distribute emergency shelter kits to affected families, with an initial target of 20,000 kits that will include tarpaulins and other materials for temporary shelter and protection from the elements.
Based on available funding, the longer-term response will follow Habitat’s model of assisting affected communities with housing solutions ranging from emergency shelter interventions to permanent home reconstruction.
“As we continue to assess the impact of the earthquake, we know there will be significant need to help families rebuild their homes and their lives in the days and months ahead,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “We’re grateful to our supporters and partners who can join us in our efforts to assist our friends in Nepal. The more funds we raise, the more families we can help.”
Habitat’s Disaster Response team provides technical expertise in home and community rebuilding and to date has helped more than 200,000 disaster-affected families around the world. Habitat for Humanity has worked in Nepal for 18 years and has helped tens of thousands of families in need of decent housing.