KEY FIGURES
33,245 households in the district
80% houses fully or partially damaged
19,510 houses fully damaged
15,682 houses partially damaged
612 people at two sites hosting >20 households
KEY ISSUES
Parts of Okhaldunga districts have been severely impacted by the earthquake.
Assessment findings on the proportion of houses damaged or destroyed range from 40% to 80%. Twenty eight percent of classrooms recently assessed are in school blocks categorized as unsafe. Twenty six out of 50 VDCs and one municipality were identified as priorities for intervention. The damage is concentrated in the northwestern areas of the district, which are also difficult to reach. These areas have a large proportion of traditionally marginalised groups.
There is a very limited presence of international relief organisations in the district and most of the response is undertaken by the district government and Nepali NGOs. The earthquake impact is further compounded by landslides blocking road access. In four VDCs (Bilandu, Harkapur, Prapcha and Gamnagtar), part of the population has been requested to temporarily relocate to safer areas due to the high risk of landslides. Temporary evacuation would mean leaving behind livestock and houses, and many families are therefore reluctant to move. As of 28 July 2015, 155 households (532 people) have been relocated. The relocation sites, however, lack sanitation, water and electricity supply.
Food security seems to be a relatively low priority in the district. However, actors indicate that the recovery of livelihoods is a main concern. Although limited information is available on the impact of the earthquakes on sources of income, the current below average rainfall is expected to negatively impact agricultural production.
There are some additional significant information gaps related to the humanitarian impact of the earthquake, including a lack of data on nutrition and protection concerns.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.