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Nepal

Nepal: Karnali Earthquake 2023 - Operation Update #4 - 20/12/2024, № MDRNP016

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To date, this Emergency Appeal, which seeks CHF 5,000,000, is 42.3 per cent funded (including DREF amount of CHF 794,627). The funding gap is 57.65 per cent.

Description of the crisis

A 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck Jajarkot District on 3 November 2023 at 11:47 local time. The epicentre was located in Ramidanda in Jajarkot district which claimed the lives of 154 people in Jajarkot (101) and Rukum West (53) district and injuring 366 people. As of December 2024, no major aftershocks have been recorded however the impact remained quite challenging as more than 75,000 houses were affected by the earthquake in 10 districts out of which Jajarkot, Rukum West and Salyan districts were badly affected1.

By December 2024, the affected population are residing in a transitional shelter made from galvanized corrugated sheets and locally available salvaged materials following the Temporary Housing Construction Grant Procedure for Earthquake Affected Households of the Government of Nepal. Due to a lack of proper guidance for permanent shelter construction from the Federal Government, the affected population is still residing in the transitional shelter.

Schools in impacted areas have resumed operations through temporary learning centers or existing facilities with minimal damage. The targeted districts, including Jajarkot, Rukum, Dailekh, Salyan, and Achham, demonstrated localized resilience during the 2024 monsoon season. While Nepal experienced over 250 fatalities and significant property losses nationwide, these specific regions managed landslides effectively through local and provincial government interventions.

Summary of response

Overview of the host National Society and ongoing response

NRCS is implementing an IFRC-wide response based on the one plan approach in the affected communities with the support from the IFRC Network present in Nepal, including the IFRC Secretariat and five integrated members: American Red Cross, British Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross, Danish Red Cross and Swiss Red Cross. Another 11 IFRC Members provided support through the IFRC appeal: American Red Cross, Austrian Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, German Red Cross, Hong Kong Red Cross Branch of the Red Cross Society of China, Japanese Red Cross, Red Cross of Monaco, Saudi Red Crescent Authority, The Canadian Red Cross Society, The Netherlands Red Cross, Turkish Red Crescent Society, as well as European Commission-DG ECHO.

NRCS staff monitoring the toilet construction process in one of the targeted districts. (Photos: NRCS)

As of 30 November 2024, 600 highly impacted households (3,000 people) received conditional cash grants for transitional shelter construction in two instalments i.e., NPR 25,000 (approximately CHF 179) in each instalments. All 600 households, targeted in this operation, completed their transitional shelter with toilet and water storage tank and moved into the transitional shelter. Out of 600 households, 200 households of the most vulnerable households also received additional shelter improvement support of NPR 15,000 (approximate of CHF 105). Vulnerability criteria include not only those with fully damaged houses, but also those whose houses have sustained impact but can be liveable with minor repairs and protect them from heat, cold and monsoon rains. For IFRC-wide data, kindly refer to the respective section in Section C.

In addition, NRCS provided emergency assistance (at least one item) to 5,665 families (28,325 people including 14,446 females) supported through the emergency appeal.

An additional 453 households received cash support of NPR 15,000 (approximately CHF 105) to construct toilet since this support was not included in the government-provided grant for transitional shelter. These households are different from the 600 households mentioned above for which the conditional cash grants for transitional shelter construction included toilet and water tank construction. For IFRC-wide data, kindly refer to the respective section in Section C.

During the reporting period, 689 households received the first instalment of conditional cash grants for livelihood support. The targeted household received NPR 25,000 (approximate CHF 176) to implement their business plan which they have prepared in coordination with the NRCS, local government, and other key stakeholders. After the monitoring of key progress based on their plan by the representative of the local municipality and NRCS District Chapter, they will receive the second instalment of same amount to complete their business plan which will later provide them with income-earning opportunities. It is expected that the transfer of second instalment will be completed by January 2025. In addition, six cash for work (CFW) initiative have supported 175 families hard hit by the disaster in three districts. Participant community members have been engaged to restore and expand irrigation canal, foot trail, and mitigation works in their locality. For IFRC-wide data, kindly refer to the respective section in Section C.

The emergency multi-purpose cash grant distribution was completed during the response phase in May 2024. A total of 20,865 people including 10,224 females of 4,173 families received multipurpose cash grant of NPR. 15,000 (approximately CHF. 98) to address their basic need. The among was agreed upon by the Cash Working Group members. For detail sectoral information, kindly refer to the previous operation update available here: Appeals | IFRC

As of November 2024, 25,087 people were provided with mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) through community-based MHPSS interventions focused on household visits and orientation sessions. Similarly, NRCS has distributed 9,328 dignity kits to women of reproductive age, 4,500 Kishori kits2 distributed to adolescent girls, and 580 solar lamps were distributed to the affected people with support from the IFRC appeal and UNFPA.

NRCS conducted health and hygiene promotion activities in the communities reaching out to at least 25,803 people including 13,159 females. Along with this, NRCS distributed 782 hygiene kits to the people affected by the earthquake reaching out to 3,910 people including 1,994 females.