NEPAL, ONE YEAR AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION AT … · THE EARTHQUAKE RECONSTRUCTION AT THE FOOT OF THE HIMALAYAS. ... Kamala is yet further disadvantaged. ... working for

NEPAL, ONE YEAR AFTER THE EARTHQUAKERECONSTRUCTION AT THE FOOT OF THE HIMALAYAS

Photos copyright

Page 1Matthieu Alexandre, Caritas Internationalis

Pages 4 and 5Mark Mitchell, Caritas New Zealand

Cover and page 7 Jake Lyell, Catholic Relief Services

– 1

CHINA

INDIA

NEPAL

NEPAL, A COUNTRY ATOP A SEISMIC FAULT LINE On April 25th and May 12th, 2015, two earthquakes struck Nepal, a country nestled in the Himalayas. This natural catastrophe damaged Nepal’s infrastructure, agriculture, economy, and the health of its population. It also had an impact on the country’s political situation and society on the whole.

The emergency response in Nepal has been difficult because of monsoon season, landslides, and the geographic isolation of villages in this mountainous country, among other reasons.

The first anniversary of this tragic event provides an oppor-tunity for Development and Peace to pay tribute to the victims of these earthquakes and to commend the efforts of all those who helped respond to the emergency and who continue to work on the country’s reconstruction.

STATISTICS ABOUT NEPAL

28.7 millioninhabitants

68.4 yearslife expectancy

1/4of the population live below the poverty line

8of the ten highest mountain peaks in the world, including Mount Everest

– 2

ZONES OF INTERVENTION G Dhading G Gorkha G Kavre G Makwanpur G Nuwakot

G Okhaldhunga G Rasuwa G Sindhuli G Sindupalchowk

Distribution of food74,455people

Distribution of basic necessities (mattresses, kitchen utensils, hygiene kits, etc.)

110,265people

Distribution of temporary shelter materials and corrugated sheets (tents, tarpaulin sheets, nails, etc.)

23,730people

s

%

%%%

%%

% %

Katmandu

Gorkha

Makwanpur

Kavre

Sindhuli

Okhaldhunga

Dhading

Rasuwa

Sindupalchowk

IN THE HOURS AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE…Development and Peace immediately unblocked initial emer-gency aid funds of $50,000 to support relief activities carried out locally by Caritas Nepal to help those stricken. Furthermore, the organization made an appeal for donations, which raised $4.8 million.

This emergency intervention was carried out with the long-term perspective of preparing the Nepalese population for recon-struction. The consent and participation of the community as well as keeping them informed of the process have been at the heart of Development and Peace’s intervention. Particular attention has been paid to the most vulnerable groups: sin-gle female households, widows, people with disabilities, the elderly, those with illnesses and ethnic minorities who are victims of discrimination (Dalits).

MOBILIZATION OF THE CARITAS NETWORKWorking to respond since April 25th, Caritas Nepal teams have intervened in a dozen districts in Nepal, sometimes in areas that were entirely destroyed. The teams travelled around the countryside with the objective of helping the most devastated communities.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE

7.8on the Richter scale

8,900 deaths

20,000 people injured

882,000 damaged or destroyed homes

2.8 million displaced people (i.e. 10% of the population)

OUR RESPONSE TO THE EMERGENCY

– 3

Dalits in Nepal:

“We were not left out”Following the worst earthquake to hit Nepal in the last 80 years, life became even more difficult for the Dalits, the most marginalized ethnic group in Nepal. About 4.5 mil-lion of the Himalayan nation’s 26 million people belong to this group, who were once referred to as “Untouchables,” and ranked at the bottom of the caste system.

As a Dalit woman, Kamala is yet further disadvantaged. Dalit men can at least have identity cards, but she has no rights to land or property, nor any access to education. She has been living in a corrugated iron hut on a dizzying mountainside with her two daughters, aged 7 and 11, ever since her husband died in the earthquake. She ekes out a living as a casual labourer on other people’s plots and farms, working for around six hours a day for 300 Nepali rupees (about $4). Her 14-year-old son had to give up his education when he failed to sit one exam, and was not allowed to enter school the next year. He convinced his mother that he’d be better off working and bringing some money to the family.

Kamala and her daughters and the newly obtained “certificate of relationship”.

© Bikash Khadge/CAFOD

Sitting on a mat beside the ruin of her former home, Kamala describes what happened on April 25th, the day of the 7.8 magnitude quake. She had gone up the moun-tainside with her daughters to buy a chicken to help her husband recover from an illness that had kept him in the hospital for a month.

Just as they reached the road, the earth started to shake. “We did not understand what was happening to us. We were being shaken by something inside the earth. I grabbed my two daughters, and pulled them down to

the ground with me, holding them tight. Right in front of my eyes I could see my house falling down,” said Kamala.

By the time Kamala and the girls scrambled back down the slope, neighbours had dragged her husband’s body out of the house. “I saw two feet sticking out from the blanket, and I recognized [his] sandals,” she said. Three days later, with the help of some neighbours and distant relatives, he was buried.

Development and Peace and its partner Caritas Nepal sent emergency aid to victims of the earthquake. The widow received food (lentils, rice, salt, and cooking oil), a hygiene kit with soap, detergent, disinfectant, and materials to repair the collapsed roof of her house. Caritas Nepal and its network of local volunteers will join in the work.

Kamala has also been helped by a neighbour to obtain a “certificate of relationship” from the local authorities. The document is precious to her: it is the one piece of paper that gives her some form of identity, as it states that her three children belong to her. Normally only the husband’s name is included, making it practically impossible for rural women to gain any official recognition.

What astounded her most, however, was the fact that when Ananda, Caritas Nepal’s district officer, came to ask villagers what they needed the most, she was included in the discussions, despite being a Dalit. Mantra-like, she repeats: “We were not left out. He sat with us as a neighbour.”

For all that she has been through, the earthquake appears to have strengthened Kamala’s resolve. “I did not get a chance to go to school, [but] I want an education for my daughters,” she says. “I pray for my son in the big city. I am a strong woman, and I will lead my family.”

Avec l’aide de Caritas Népal, Kamala est capable de prendre soin de sa famille.

© Bikash Khadge / CAFOD

– 4

THREE PILLARS OF ACTION FOR A STRONGER SOCIETY Now that the emergency phase is over, Development and Peace is implementing a three-year program structured around rebuilding houses, agricultural recovery, and combating human trafficking.

1 SUPPORT FOR HOUSING RECONSTRUCTIONFollowing the earthquakes, 882,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. Many families lost their homes, while others are afraid of returning to their dwellings, as the structures may have been weakened. The family house provides privacy and dignity, as well as protection from the elements and against disease, and villagers who were asked about their greatest need said that it was to rebuild their house. The approach is to enable communities to rebuild their houses themselves through:

, The distribution of construction materials;

, Training and technical support for building earthquake-resistant structures;

, Advocacy for promised government compensation; and

, Help for the recovery of official legal documents, such as land titles.

2 PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY Earthquake victims have lost their means of production, storage facilities, agri-cultural implements, seeds, livestock, and draught animals. Cooperative buildings and community infrastructure have also been destroyed. Local market systems have been disrupted, leading to income losses given the shortage of products for sale and lack of market opportunities. Food security remains a main concern since victims are now in a context conducive to accumulating debt as they can’t work in the fields. Development and Peace is therefore focusing on:

, The distribution of agricultural tools;

, Distribution of seeds for cash crops and subsistence farming;

, The restoration of irrigation systems; and

, Re-launching agricultural community cooperatives.

3 COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING In the aftermath of the earthquakes, women and children found themselves in situations of vulnerability, and the risk of human trafficking increased. Safe places like houses and schools were destroyed, and social networks that provide sec-urity, such as parents and teachers, were undermined. As women and children searched for safety, and displacement within the country increased due to the earthquake, the potential for breaches in confidence and exploitation increased. As such, Development and Peace is supporting:

, Community training and awareness- raising of human trafficking;

, Strengthening of village vigilance committees;

, Services for victims of human trafficking; and

, Advocacy for the application of national legislation.

– 5

The extraordinary resilience of the Nepalese people Interview with Stéphane Vinhas, Nepal Program Officer at Development and Peace

Where does the notion of resilience come from? The notion of resilience is in fact inspired by the study of materials and physics. It is used in fields like ecology, eco-nomics and psychology. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, resili-ence is defined as the “ability of individuals, communities, organizations, or countries exposed to disasters and crises and underlying vulnerabilities to anticipate, reduce the impact of, cope with, and recover from the effects of adver-sity without compromising their long-term prospects.”

Why is resilience important in the delivery of emergency relief? The notion of resilience includes aspects of shock absorp-tion and adaptation to various situations. It also includes a commitment to change and improvement. When it comes to resilience, the goal is not to “make do” or simply to “survive,” rather resilience encompasses the principle of supporting individuals and communities. So then, resili-ence means that we take into consideration vulnerability factors and the capacity to maintain long-term develop-ment even in the context of a short-term intervention. We therefore seek to promote community recovery as quickly as possible, while limiting the possible impacts of future disasters.

What’s the link between poverty and resilience?Those living in poverty are the ones who are most at risk in situations of crisis or disaster. They are most exposed, yet have the fewest resources to cope with their exposure. They are the main group at the core of resilience activities. These activities first and foremost recognize the abilities of people in vulnerable situations and provide them with the resources to develop their own structures and mechanisms that will allow them to rebound after a crisis. The goal is not to keep people in poverty but to help them improve their conditions and strengthen their capacity for resili-ence in the face of problems that are sometimes recurrent and structural as well.

What made Nepal special?Nepalese communities exhibited remarkable emotional and practical resilience that showed inventiveness and a deep commitment to meeting their needs. As always, local populations and organizations were the first to mobi-lize during the emergency phase. The support provided through humanitarian relief was used effectively and prag-matically by the population. Today, political considerations are slowing down the reconstruction process, far more than the willingness or ability of the Nepalese population to recover and prepare for the next earthquake.

– 6

2015 – 2016TRANSPARENCY

EMERGENCY PHASE

Emergency response for affected populations Distribution of food, essential goods, tarpaulins, metal sheets and hygiene kits.

$200,000

SUPPORTING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES

Rehabilitation program for affected populations Construction of houses, rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure, training on risk reduction, and psychosocial support.

$500,000

Mobile legal support unit to ensure access to justiceTraining, information, legal advice for earthquake victims.

$105,000

PROMOTING AGRICULTURAL AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Training of girls affected by the earthquakesProfessional training, awareness-raising in communities, micro-credit.

$60,000

Agricultural recovery for small farmers affected by the earthquakesDistribution of seeds and agricultural tools, agricultural training.

$80,000

Economic recovery and community empowerment Agricultural and commercial training, rehabilitation of the means of production.

$530,000

COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Increasing the security of migration through initiatives to counter human traffickingPrevention and advocacy, implementing systems to counter trafficking, and supporting victims.

$275,000

TOTAL $1,750,000 *

195,000 people reached

28,176 people reached

40,300 people reached

1,500 people reached

264,976 people reached in total

11 %

35 %

38 %

16 %

* The amount indicated corresponds to the amount that has been committed to the first year of programming. The remaining amount will

serve to finance programming activities over the next two years.

– 7

AFTER THE EMERGENCYAfter a natural disaster, the reconstruction process can take long. In Nepal, this process has been further slowed by political constraints, as well as climatic con-ditions, such as the monsoon season and winter.

Above and beyond the humanitarian response required to help the most vulner-able survive, over the next three years Development and Peace will support local civil society organizations in re-establishing their activities, re-gaining a sense of normalcy and preparing for future disasters.

धन्यबाद देना DHANYABAD* ! Development and Peace’s emergency and reconstruction program in Nepal was made possible thanks to the great generosity of our donors across Canada and the commitment of our partners in Nepal. We also want to thank the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops for its support. Development and Peace expresses its gratitude to its donors and supporters for their trust in our actions alongside the most poor and vulnerable people in the Global South. * Thank you in Nepalese

Development and Peace, Caritas Canada1425, René-Lévesque Blvd West, 3rd floorMontreal (Quebec) H3G 1T7 CANADA514 257-8711, 1 888 234-8533

[email protected] | devp.org

Registered Charity Number: 1 1882 9902 RR0001April 2016