On November 3, 2023, a tremor woke me up in my home in Kathmandu. It was around midnight and my immediate instinct was to check the latest media updates to determine the epicenter. It later became clear that a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.4 with an epicenter in the Jajarkot district had shaken the Karnali province in western Nepal. This was the worst earthquake since it devastated the country in 2015 and the latest in a series of earthquakes to hit western Nepal last year.
The next morning, a Unicef team about 65 kilometers from the epicenter set off to affected communities to assess the situation and provide assistance to the population. To our dismay, the extent of the destruction exceeded our original estimates. The earthquake killed 153 people and injured more than 364. Half of the dead and injured were children. More than 61,000 houses were damaged, 26,520 of which were completely destroyed. School buildings were damaged: 142 collapsed completely and another 343 partially collapsed; 89 toilets in schools were also partly broken. The quake also affected health facilities and water supply systems.
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When so many children are injured during the earthquake and critical health services, including maternal and newborn care, are disrupted, the risks to children’s health from exposure to harsh winter weather, respiratory infections and water-borne diseases increase. Children are disproportionately affected and forced to sleep outdoors in emergency shelters; Now that winter is approaching, they urgently need shelter, blankets and warm clothing. Before the earthquake, Karnali Province already had high levels of child malnutrition. Given the impact on basic services such as health and water, sanitation and hygiene, their nutritional status is now likely to deteriorate further.
That’s why we distributed the first relief supplies, including blankets and tarpaulins, 24 hours after the earthquake. By the fourth day, we had reached more than 21,000 people, including 7,140 children, and provided them with hygiene kits, plastic buckets, water treatment, more blankets and tents. In addition, three medical tents were set up to provide health care and 17 rooms for minors that provided psychosocial and psychological support.
On the fourth day, I joined the relief efforts in Jajarkot district. When I arrived, I was deeply shocked by the widespread destruction of homes, coupled with the harsh reality that families were forced to spend nights outside, either for fear of aftershocks or because their homes had been reduced to rubble. It was heartbreaking to see entire cities reduced to rubble, and the immediate appearance of orphans added to the tragedy. The most affected villages were scattered, making providing assistance to these populations a logistical challenge. The scale of the devastation required urgent and strategic efforts to provide relief to affected communities.
The immediate appearance of the orphans added another layer to the tragedy
After the initial search and rescue, we mapped the most affected villages to establish child-friendly spaces that provide psychosocial support, counseling, group healing, recreation and more. And most importantly, so that little ones can socialize and play while their parents start the work of rebuilding their lives.
I was actively involved in the creation of 11 of these spaces, which are now visited by 6,000 children. Among them, Susmita, a 12-year-old girl, who told me about her harrowing experience on the night of the earthquake. While they were sleeping, their family’s house collapsed. Luckily she was pulled from the rubble unharmed. Tragically, two of his brothers died. This heartbreaking story is repeated in numerous affected homes. Despite the trauma, Susmita finds solace in play and stress-relieving activities. For them it is a small but significant step towards normality. He says he is looking forward to rebuilding his collapsed school and looks forward to the day when he can resume his education.
We know from experience that in addition to child-friendly rooms, learning rooms with water, sanitation and hygiene facilities are also necessary, especially taking into account the damage to school buildings and classrooms. This not only ensures uninterrupted education, but also protects children from the risks they face when left unsupervised, such as abuse and exploitation. Financial support to affected families, especially those caring for children and people with disabilities, is also urgently needed to ensure they can begin rebuilding their lives.
The overall recovery from this disaster is a process that will take time, but we will continue to work on site around the clock.
Dan Rono He is the head of the child protection department of Unicef Nepal.
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