Social protection and disasters illustration: Nepal's earthquake

After the earthquakes hitting Nepal in April and May 2015, which killed 9.000 people, injured 25.000 and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless. Over 4,4 billion USD was promised in aid for the relief and reconstruction, but implementation by the Nepali government was too slow and failed to materialize: only a year and a half after the earthquake did some 75% of over 1.000 affected households receive a 450€ grant to rebuild their houses. Should there have been systems of social security in place, with registered beneficiaries, this aid could have come much sooner and could have saved many lives.

Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) medical Team helped Nepal earthquake victims

By Mr. Rammani Pokharel, NTUC

After learning about the devastation, Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK) from Bangladesh came to Nepal and linked up with another WSM partner, Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) to offer medical help. A team of one doctor and five medical students, some with Nepali origins but studying at GK, came by truck, bringing medicines and supplies. NTUC facilitated the hosting of two medical camps in and around Laliptur for construction, commercial and carpet workers. The remaining medication and material was handed over to the Bangladesh Embassy in Kathmandu. During their mission, 971 (among which 398 male and 573 female) patients were treated. Head of the team, Dr. Halimour was glad he didn’t have to perform any major amputations. He remembered treating a little girl whose mother had died while shielding her from falling debris and who was still very afraid.