A powerful earthquake shook Nepal on Saturday, April 25, 2015, near its capital, Katmandu, killing more than 8,000 people and destroying an untold number of houses and buildings. As officials in Nepal assess the devastation, reports are that most of the deaths occurred in Katmandu and the surrounding valley. More than 17,000 people have been injured. Both the death toll and number of injured people keeps rising as the area is searched.
We have had representatives in Nepal since the day after the disaster, and we’ve been working hard to deliver immediate relief and evaluate options for longer-term aid. One of our volunteers on the ground reports, “The destruction is massive and the situation is really bad. Gripped by fear of another quake, people have relinquished their homes and are living in the streets. Immediate requirements are warm clothes, food and water.”
Amma has directed Embracing the World to distribute badly needed shipments of relief supplies including rice, wheat, dahl, blankets and tarpaulins for the earthquake survivors, most of whom are afraid to sleep inside the structures that are still standing. The Nepalese military has been instrumental in helping to distribute the materials we’ve sent to people in need.
