Nepal Earthquake Rapid Needs Assessment

Nepal Earthquake Rapid Needs Assessment

Rapid Needs Assessment Report – Plan International Nepal

Earthquake in Nepal

  1. General information:

Name and the nature of the disaster / Earthquake 7.8 magnitude – Nepal
Date/s on which the rapid needs assessment was done. / 25, 26, 27 and 28th of April 2015
Dateon which the rapid needs assessment report is being written. / 30April 2015
Full name, job title, e-mail and phone number of the team leader/ person writing the report. / Murali Kunduru, Sr. Programme Manager,
Subhakar Baidya, Program Support Manager, Plan Nepal,
  1. Situation Overview

2.1 Nature and intensity of the emergency
The 7.8 magnitude quake hit Nepal on Saturday destroying buildings in Kathmandu and severely affecting rural areas across the region. Police said the official death toll in Nepal had reached 5,582 as of late 30th April(OCHA, 30 Apr 2015). That figure did not include the 19 people killed at Mount Everest — five foreign climbers and 14 Nepalese Sherpa guides — when the quake unleashed an avalanche at base camp and approximately 11,175 injured. Search and rescue operations are ongoing and the number is increasing. However, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has warned the toll could reach 10,000. Kathmandu and its surrounding areas continuously experiencing aftershocks. Thousands in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, spent a sixth night outside, too afraid to go back into their houses. Water, food and electricity are in short of supply and there are fears of outbreaks of disease.
A major earthquake followed by one hundred plusaftershocks in Nepal devastated life and propertyin 39 out of 75 districts of Nepal. Two major earthquakes one measuring 7.9 and another 6.7 richteur scale happend on 25nd and 26 April respectively. The epicentre of these earthquakes are repored to be Barpak region of Gorkha district about 150 km west of Kathmandu while that of second one was Kodari region near the Nepal-China border area.Number of death and injured continues to rise as the situation unfolds while information from remote areas in Nepal’s difficult geographical terrain is coming in. Continuous rains are also affecting the rescue and relief operations and further decreasing the chances of finding survivors.
2.2 Geographical extent/spread of the affected area
The following maps gives an overview of the epicentre, affected districts and operational areas of Plan:
map of Nepal showing areas affected by earthquake
The Government of Nepal has established 16 temporary relief camps in different parts of Kathmandu. Please follow the link:

2.3Number of people affected
According to an initial estimations and based on the latest earthquake intensity mapping, eight million people in 39 districts have been severely affected, of which over two million people live in the 11 severely affected districts," said the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator on 29 April.As of 30 April, 130,033 houses were destroyed and 85,856 houses damaged (OCHA SitRep). Additionally, Government premises have been badly hit with 10,141 destroyed buildings and 13,502 damaged buildings.An estimate of3.2 million women and children are among the population affected by protection concerns. Of these, 525,000 are women of reproductive age, of whom 4 per cent (21,500) are pregnant. In Kathmandu alone 75,000 families have been affected as of 30th April, 1.00pm (OCHA)
2.4 How many children are affected?
According to UNICEF, 1.7million children have been affected (1 May). Destruction in Kathmandu valley and surrounding areas is extremelysevere with large number of mud-mortar houses, temples and historical monuments destroyed.
While the children survivors and their families were sent to government run relief camps but the available services to protect children and basic needs are very minimal. At the same time repeated aftershocks are increasing the trauma for children.
The rapid needs assessment team has observed in the field that the lives of so many children have been torn apart and they are in desperate need of life-saving support, including protection, psychosocial care, clean water, shelter and sanitation. While interacting with the affected children, most of the children are in a shock of the situation as they have lost their siblings, injuries to themselves and their family members and friends, damages to schools etc. Few children were also burst out of the situation while sharing their experiences and there is a need for immediate child friendly spaces cum temporary learning centres. Situation of the infants and young children is even worse as they need proper food including breast feeding but yet the food supplies from government and aid agencies to reach them, especially for affected families of hilly terrain as markets are also far off.
Almost all the children including adolescent girls and youth are living in open areas with no facilities for sanitation and hygiene and privacy. Though the relief camps were set up by the government, It was observed that the relief camps have very limited space to allow children move freely and play which is further worsening the situation of the children.
As on 30th April, approximately 2,903 schools have been completely and 9,762 are partially damaged as per the preliminary information from the Government. In addition it was declared by the government that the schools will be closed for one week. This will also have an impact on children as they will miss the peer interactions and play, which can help reduce the impact of trauma.
Children are vulnerable to malnutrition and disease that is likely to follow by inadequate shelter, absence of clean water and lack of nutritious food. The disruption of health care services will further escalate this physical risks of child mortality and morbidity.
  1. Methodology

Eight Rapid Needs Assessment teams comprising of different sectoral specialist were deployed to conduct the assessment with the support of local implementing partner teams. Plan has completed the RNA in Makwanpur, Kathmandu Valley (Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Kathmandu), Dolakha , Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Kavrepalanchok. Details of the teams, area wise, are as follows:
-3 teams coveredKathmandu valley
-1 team forDolakha, Ramechhap districts
-1 team for Tanahu and Kavrepalanchokdistricts
-3 teams from the Program Unit covered Makwanpur, Sindhuli and Baglon areas
  • Primary data collection was made through key stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, direct observations and household interviews.
  • RNA questionnaire was used as a primary source for understanding the situation in the ground.
  • Secondary data from District Relief Commissioner’s office, Village Development Committees and other Humanitarian agencies were collected.
  • Information from school teachers, police department, village heads, youth clubs were also collected.
Map over of districts covered by the RNA

4. Needs by district
Dolakha: /
  • According to DDRC, 90% of the houses were severely damaged and 90% of the markets were closed. The assessment team found no open shops at the time for the assessment.
  • Persons encountered during the assessment were facing acute shortage of food as no relief material has reached and markets remain closed.
  • Assessment team has observed that the living conditions are very bad for people who were staying in makeshift shelters and need to provide immediate shelter as most of the families are living in open areas. There is a need for nonfood items such as cooking utensils and blankets.
  • Many children live with their families in makeshift shelters, without appropriate and safe areas to play.
  • School buildings have been damaged and children are worried about their academic year. Given the level of destruction of many of the school buildings, there will be nowhere for education to continue unless temporary learning sites are set up.
  • Water points and sanitary facilities has been damaged.
  • According to DDRC, only 26 out of 48 VDCs are accessible by road after the earthquake. It is difficult to send relief material.

Kavrepalanchok: /
  • According to DDRC and VDC representatives encountered during the assessment,90% of houses are severely damaged in some areas.The assessment teamcould confirm that most houses were severely damaged.
  • Assessment team has observed that markets in Dolikhel were functional, however inthe VDCs in the hilly terrain there were no markets open.
  • According to VDC representative inJyamdi VDC,around 80% houses were damaged out of 1,100 households, and rests were cracked. At a single place of the Chisapani village of Jyamdi VDC, 11 houses out of totally 25 has collapsed. 28 deaths were reported in whole VDC till date.
  • Most persons encountered in the assessment had lost their houses, property and food stock. They were living in an open area near to their damaged houses and some of people were living in the open ground of damaged.
  • They managed temporarily shelter through locally available materials like plastics, tarpaulins etc.
  • In Deupur VDC, the secondary schools with about 500 students was found to be partially damaged. The schools has been occupies by cattle and residents live in the schools ground, as their houses had collapsed. The furniture of the schools had been taken out for temporary shelter construction and was no longer serviceable. School materiel was lost. The schools cannot be reopened as it serves as shelter.
  • Children were seen playing on the main road without attention of their parents who were occupied to manage shelter and cooking food with improvised devises.
  • People had no spare clothes and walked in wet clothing.
  • Food items are being managed by the locally themselves till date by sharing each other but it will be finished by couple of days.
  • Displaces people used open defecation. The lack of sanitary facilities was a concern expressed by women that the assessment team talked to.

Ramechap: /
  • DDRC informed that approximately 25% of houses are severely damaged.
  • Team has observed that the priority needs are food assistance and emergency shelter.
  • Markets are not fully functional.
  • Roads were blocked during the assessment, RNA team had to divert through other side.
  • Moderately affected district in comparison with other districts.

Tanahu: /
  • Based on the preliminary assessment from RNA team approximately 10,000 people have been affected with more than 5,000 houses severely damaged. Around 60 pregnant women 30 lactating mothers require health care.
  • Assessment team shared that the mostly affected areas of Tanahun District are Suklagandaki, Byas and Bandipur municipalities and 9 VDCs namely: Bhanu, Rupakot, Chaur, Abukhairini, Manpang, Chhang, Firfire, Purkot and Barbhanjyang.
  • According to RNA team 16 schools have collapsed.
  • Nearly 10000 children are affected and among them 5500 are boys and 4500 are girls.

Makwanpur: /
  • DDRC shared that more than 2000 houses are fully damaged and more than 60 percent houses are partially damaged.
  • More than 20 school buildings are collapsed.
  • RNA team reported that this area is politically sensitive and interference during distribution of relief material will be high.
  • Fear of landslides and road blocks during the rainy season is a challenge.

Kathmandu Valley and Town /
  • Sanitation, lack of personal sewage drainage, public drainage pipes are brushed and started to effect in health (some persons are now affected of cholera.)
  • Many families personally and in group have been staying in yards/field with tents.
  • The families are in need of tents and safe shelters.
  • Temporary latrine facilities are required.
  • Partial damaged houses are still threat.
  • The temporary stay of people is 2 hours walk from the main town could not reach to those areas as no vehicles are plying and can be reached only by walk.

Sindhuli /
  • Emergency Shelter, Food and medicines have been identified as priority needs by the assessment team. There are a total of 50 VDCs and 2 Municipalities in Sindhuli district.
  • Total VDCs affected in Sindhuli are 39, out of which 29 are badly affected.
  • It was also observed by the team that Ward # 1, 5, 8 and 9 of Kamalamai Municipality are badly affected.
  • Some of the badly (highly) affected VDCs are program areas such as Bhadrakali, Bhimesor, Dandi Guranse, Jalkanya, Jha Ra, Kapilakot, Pu Jha, Majuwa, Ranichuri, Ratanchura, Sitalpati, Kushesor Dumj
  • Almost all of the response material (tarpaulin) collected in the DDRC store dispatched to the affected VDCs. It was reported that there was disturbance while distributing these tarpaulins because of the in sufficient quantity. Police and district administration together with DDRC distribution team is trying to resolve these disputes.
  • Several groups of community visiting local Plan Offices requesting additional support on top of DDRC mandated response support.
  • DDRC has requested Plan to supply additional tarpaulin to distribute if possible from our side.
  • DHO Sindhuli requested for some medicines/drugs for the treatment to injured people.

  1. Needs by sector

The government and its organisations are engaged in search and rescue operations including providing health and treatment services. However, the following gaps in terms of coverage, needs and immediate response have been identified in the field and also during interactions with the government, people representatives etc. Briefly, the gaps and challenges in the ongoing response are as follows:
Basic amenities:Immediate food, shelter, sanitation and hygiene facilities are not available in the affected areas. Government and humanitarian agencies have hardly reached the most affected areas and emergency response operations need to be started on priority basis to reduce the human suffering. Markets are partially functional and most of the shops either remain closed or without stock.
Health: Hospitals and pharmaceutical shops have remained open and medical personnel in the urban areas are treating injured people in the camps and open spaces as hospitals are congested. However, the situation in the rural and tribal areas is very pathetic as health centres and health posts are far away from their settlements. Hardly health workers are visiting the villages and people who got injured are left without with minimal or no treatment. There is a need to increase the improved health interventions in the affected areas either directly or by partnering with health focused organizations.
Shelter: Nepal Red Cross society is providing relief and shelter materials to the designated camps in Kathmandu valley and few of the affected districts. However, available shelter material is very minimal and crating tensions in the community while distribution.
NFI: Non-food items such as hygiene kits, sanitation kits, medical kits and cooking kits are very much required to ensure communities other needs are addressed as most of these items were also covered by debris.
Protection: The most affected areas are high risk of child trafficking. Many children can be assumed to have lost their care givers. Children face distress of losing home and belongings. Escalation of domestic violence is a concern.
Education: DDRC in Dolakha, Sindhuli and Kavrepalanchok report that 70-90% of schools are affected. Education has been suspended until 5 May. In many VDCs visited by the team educational materiel has been lost, and schools are no longer serviceable.
  1. Marginalized and vulnerable group

Assessment teams have observed that immediate risks are related to shelter, food security and access to health services by the most marginalized communities such as Dalits, Ethnic Minorities who are living in most vulnerable conditions and in scattered locations of the hilly terrain. Field teams of Kavrepalanchok, Dolakha, Sindhuliand Makwanpurshared that due to lack of accessibility to tribal areas many communities were yet to reach by the government and aid agencies and it will further worsen their situation if the immediate relief not reaches to these communities.
It was also reported by the assessment team that in one of the relief camps in the Kathmandu town upper caste communities have displaced the lower caste groups from the government run tents. It has an impact on services receiving by them in the camps though it is very minimal.
The social exclusion of the most vulnerable and minority groups are also not getting proper attention due to stigma such as the HIV AIDS affected children in one of the area in Kathmandu - Kirtipur municipality faces difficulties receiving the support from the relief agencies as they are kept in the self managed temporary shelter in front of the school.
Besides, the rented families in the Kathmandu city core area are also reported became more vulnerable as they are not considered as the entitled to get the relief items as they lack proper document/evidence so far.
The challenges and risks will be continued in reaching out the most marginalized groups such as Dalits, HIV/AID affected due to discrimination and especially ethnic groups due to inaccessibility of the roads apart from internal conflict.
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