WIREDGOV

Around 1.7 million children are now in urgent need of aid in the areas worst-hit by the earthquake in Nepal.

Globally, Unicef has launched a £33 million appeal to get humanitarian aid to children and their families over the next three months amid growing risk of disease outbreaks.

Make a donation to our Nepal earthquake appeal today

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake has killed nearly 5,000 people and injured more than 9,700. It has also driven tens of thousands of people into open spaces and temporary camps in the Kathmandu valley and the rest of the worst-affected districts.

“The lives of so many children have been torn apart and they are in desperate need of life-saving support, including clean water, shelter and sanitation,” says Tomoo Hozumi, of Unicef Nepal.

“Without a safe water supply, waterborne diseases remain huge risks for children. Many families are struggling simply to protect themselves from the sun and rain and we only expect needs to grow in the coming days as we receive more information from remoter areas and the full scale of the disaster becomes more apparent.”

Clean water

Tents, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and buckets have been dispatched to Gorkha for distribution, the area at the epicentre of the earthquake, where the presence of dead bodies poses the risk of disease outbreak. Vital supplies have also been dispatched to Kavre and Dhading.

Unicef is delivering water purification tablets, buckets and hygiene kits in Bhaktapur where only 1 in 5 people are estimated to have access to clean water. Water tankers are distributing clean water to 16 informal camps that have sprung up in the Kathmandu valley.

More than 80% of health facilities in the five most severely affected districts have been severely damaged, so patients are being treated outside.

Psychological support for children

Teams are identifying and assisting children who have been separated from their families, and our Unicef colleagues are working with partners to provide psychological support for children living in informal camps who’ve experienced extreme shock.

Over 84% of schools assessed in 16 affected districts are either partially or fully damaged – highlighting the need for temporary learning spaces to protect children and allow them to establish a routine.

Your donation can help keep more children safe in Nepal. Please donate today