Shropshire Star

Watch: Nepal - Rising up from the rubble

One year on from the earthquake that destroyed many villages, Nepal is getting back on its feet, writes Juliet Hounam.

Published

Journeying towards the snow-capped Himalayas through the dusty, hectic main streets of Kathmandu, you would be forgiven for not instantly noticing the scars of last year's earthquake.

Among the hustle and bustle of the markets and cheerful colours of the prayer flags, up close the capital bears the signs of a mass construction drive.

Piles of new bricks line the streets and makeshift scaffolding clads many buildings. The lively city of Kathmandu is on its way to recovery and there is a sense of hope and new beginnings.

But it's the rural communities nearer the epicentre of the earthquake which have struggled to rebuild their lives. Limited infrastructure, poverty, and the remote nature of the mountain districts, mean that people are, one year on, still without shelter, clean water and food.

As we creep slowly upwards towards the stark crystal white of the mountains against the contrast of the azure sky, and past the bright green terraced foothills of the Himalayas, the destruction becomes more apparent. Huge piles of rubble sit where villages once thrived, and walking among the stones, there is evidence of people's abandoned belongings. A child's shoe peeks out from a rotting beam. The rich colours of discarded traditional clothes clash with the harsh grey of the stone masonry.

At 11:45am on Saturday, April 25, 2015, the first earthquake struck. Measuring 7.4 on the richter scale, it was also known as the Gorkha earthquake and killed more than 8,000 people, injuring 21,000. The large aftershock that followed hit the district of Dolakha on May 12. Many houses that still stood after the first earthquake, crumbled during the second.

The aftermath of the earthquake was chaotic and aid arrived inconsistently. Much of the assistance was distributed to the more accessible communities. Those situated in the remote areas didn't receive help with shelter before the monsoon hit, nor in time for the freezing winter.

Bleak landscape - a buddhist temple between Charikot and Kathmandu

Christian Aid was one of the agencies which targeted its efforts to those harder to reach areas. Geo-polictical problems such as the recent blockade which closed off most trade from India (the only trade route to Nepal) also meant that basic supplies such as fuel and building materials were scarce. The lack of fuel hampered most efforts to deliver any assistance on time.

  • 53% - Safer housing

  • 47% - Shelter materials

  • 19% - Cash

  • 19% think information and technology would help them be better prepared in the future

The charity has reached more than 400,000 people in the most vulnerable communities, helping them with food, water, shelter and sanitation

Dipankar Patnaik, Christian Aid's regional emergency manager, says: "There was a huge strain put on Kathmandhu airport, which has only one heavy load landing strip to accommodate all the incoming aid agencies. There was then no real management of what aid went where, and we found that those in the rural areas did not receive their share of assistance on time."

Even the US Army helicopters struggled to reach these areas safely due to the high altitudes and thin air. Christian Aid managed to assist communities living as high as 3,450m where it takes up to six days to get to on foot, but there are people living even higher in the mountains who have been affected.

In a tiny Dolakha village nestled in a valley scarred with landslides, Janak Shrestha, 38, describes the moment the first earthquake struck. "I have never experienced anything like it. I was in my house while other family members worked the land on the fields. Unexpectedly the earth started to shake. The landslides started and the cowshed collapsed in front of me.

"Everybody panicked, some ran toward the riverside and some fell to the ground. It was only later that we realised it was an earthquake."

Destruction - shelter among the rubble in the Dolakha District

He goes on to add: "Slowly we received information about the amount of human and livestock casualties. It was very frightening. My mother was injured badly and we immediately tried to carry her to hospital."

As Janak spoke, a slow rumble shakes the ground and birds fly from the trees. Janak eyes the sheer drop of the mountainside above as he looks for falling rocks. "That was a tremor," he says. "We experience them often."

After the earthquake, the roads that served as a lifeline to many, were completely destroyed. They suffered cracks and damage and were only passable on foot, which meant it took Janak four days to carry his mother to the hospital. She had a badly broken leg and was very close to death.

Hopeful - Janak Shrestha has learnt carpentry skills

The intricately built stone houses in the village acted as a deadly weapon, spewing debris in all directions as people tried to run. Many of the injuries sustained were broken bones and crushed skulls.

While the houses in the village are mostly still standing, they all display huge cracks and look as though they will imminently collapse. In an area that still endures up to 15 small tremors a day, the buildings are in desperate need of being safely demolished, but there are no resources to do so. The community is in limbo and many are terrified to stay but too poor to relocate to safer pastures.

Reports from local media inform them that another, bigger earthquake is due to strike, which creates a further, dark uncertainty. Many are permanently in fear and often head to sleep in the fields when the larger tremors strike. Indeed, many seismologists predict three likely scenarios for Nepal, none of which inspire optimism.

The best scenario is continual small tremors which will help to release the seismic pressure without massive destruction. The worst case would be either two huge earthquakes, meaning horrific numbers of casualties, or a few slightly smaller but still significant ones.

The reality is, the existing buildings will not withstand any of these scenarios.

Janak, however, is hopeful about the future: "A partner organisation of Christian Aid, HURADEC (Human Rights Awareness and Development Centre) came to the village and conducted training classes in carpentry. I have now been able to support other members of my community in building new shelters, which I do voluntarily for those who cannot afford to pay me. House construction has now become my main vocation and I hope that it will sustain me in the future."

This story is typical of many of those living in rural communities.

The complicated caste system also impacts on how aid is distributed, and many in the poverty stricken Dalit communities have to rely on each other to survive.

Laxman B.K, 36, and his wife, Deepmaya H.K, also 36, live in the Patitar village in Dolakha and are members of the 'untouchable' Dalit caste.

Deepmaya says: "It sounded like rocks were falling from the mountains and the earth was shaking a lot. After the first earthquake, our house only had some cracks. After the second it was totally damaged. We had to live in the goat shed for two months where we faced many problems, like wind and monsoon. It was only two degrees, so very cold and we were very worried about our five small daughters during this time. We only received aid such as food and tarpaulins after 15 or 20 days."

Terrified of another quake - Laxman with wife Deepmaya and three of their children

"I then gave birth to my son in a transitional shelter which we built with materials from Christian Aid. I asked a neighbour to help me and in five or ten minutes I had given birth in the shelter."

She says that the children still have nightmares about the earthquakes. "We are terrified that if another one comes we will die."

While there have been many reports of the Dalits not receiving their equal share of aid, Laxman insists that he was helped by the indigenous members of his caste and that everyone worked together to help each other.

When asked what Dalits needed, he says: "I am not only asking for help for the Dalit communities, but for all earthquake affected people. If I asked only for Dalits then it would be selfish."

Another member of the Dalit community is Ahkal Bahadur, 50, from the Sindhupalchowk District. He found that his house had collapsed but his family had run out, dodging the crumbling walls. They were safe but in shock for the next few hours, and he had to think quickly to find shelter before night approached. "We slept that night on open ground with no blankets or anything to lie on. We were terrified all night with the constant aftershocks and tremors. The next day I managed to find two tin sheets and made a small shelter. We lived like this for the next month when the monsoon hit. It was miserable."

Help only reached his village after 10 days, by which time most of the badly injured had died. The village largely pulled together to rescue neighbours from the rubble, but since then Ahkal and his family have been uncertain about their future.

Uncertain future - quake victim Ahkal Bahadur

"We don't know exactly when we will get government support to build a permanent shelter. It's not assured and we don't know the number of people who will be helped. Right now they are conducting surveys to see who is entitled."

The earthquake also crippled the economy. Reports say that tourism decreased by up to 50 per cent, as travellers were advised to stay away. This further hampered not only the recovery efforts but it also drove prices up for budget travellers and backpackers. Nepal's economy is heavily reliant on its tourism trade, and the lack of visitors bringing money in has left many without work.

But from the destruction and sadness of many of the stories emerges a much more heartening theme.

Dipankar says: "On a personal level, as well as from an agency level, working on the response to this earthquake has been a revelation of sorts in the way the people of Nepal have actually lived on and pulled together after such a big disaster. Having worked in other responses such as the tsunami, I've seen that people can often become aggressive. In desperation they demand things from aid agencies and the government itself. But the people of Nepal have responded in a very nice and positive manner. The stories I've heard about people helping each other are remarkable."

Official estimates now say that it will take at least £4.2 billion to rebuild Nepal and many more years. One year on, aid is dwindling due to other global emergencies such as Syria, but it continues to be desperately needed.

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