Two weeks after the devastating earthquake, Nepal remains in a state of unimaginably acute need. At least eight million people in the country are reliant on UN aid. According to the UN, a total of USD 415 million is needed for food, medicines, tents and toilets. The Netherlands is responding with an extra EUR 5 million in emergency aid.
‘There is a huge amount of work to do,’ said development minister Lilianne Ploumen. ‘It’s terrible to see children sleeping on the street, to know that the elderly have no access to the medicines they need. We want this contribution to give people a little bit of hope.’
The Netherlands’ contribution will be channelled through the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), which is working to help severely affected areas outside of the capital Kathmandu. As well as food packages, victims are given money to buy their own food supplies, which is better for the local economy. The WFP also provides them with means of growing their own food.
Currently, 3.5 million people in Nepal do not have enough to eat. ‘The situation is especially critical in rural areas. It is vital that these remote parts of the country are not forgotten. Aid is slow to filter through, and more help is needed,’ Ms Ploumen added. The destruction caused by the earthquake is making it hard to deliver emergency aid and thwarting people’s attempts to resume their daily activities. Some of the extra contribution has therefore been earmarked for logistics and communication.
In addition to the extra EUR 5 million contribution to the WFP, Ms Ploumen had already earmarked EUR 4 million for health care, shelter and food. This money is being channelled through the Dutch Relief Alliance, a partnership of emergency aid organisations. Another EUR 1 million went to the Red Cross for blankets, tarpaulins and medical care.
The Netherlands has also sent an Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) to Nepal. The team helped in the search for survivors in Kathmandu and surrounding regions in the first few days following the earthquake. The USAR team returned to the Netherlands on Wednesday.