Nepal During And After 2015 Quake In The Eyes Of An ICRC Official

By Tengku Faezah Tengku Yusof KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- On April 25, 2015 while Pramesh Poudel and his family were visiting a relative on the outskirts of Kathmandu he was concerned of the narrow road in the village. The road was practically inaccessible to any vehicle. "What if there is an emergency? It should be wider, so that ambulance or fire truck can come in easily, and in case of earthquake...," he voiced his concern to his cousin. No sooner the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) official ended the conversation with his cousin the ground below his feet shook. The tremor lasted for nearly a minute but it was enough to petrify Pramesh and his family. What he and his family encountered that moment was the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal, deemed to be the worst natural disaster in the country since 1934. Pramesh, 39, said he did not realise how bad the damage was at that time because they were standing on open space. Moreover, the houses in the area were still intact although there were strong ground movements. Pramesh was here recently to attend an ICRC regional meeting when he was met by Bernama. SMOKE AND FALLEN CHIMNEY However, after observing at a distant, the sight of a factory chimney that had toppled down and smoke emanating from a neighbourhood, his instincts told him that something was not right. Being the Head of ICRC Cooperation Department for Nepal, the first thing Pramesh did was to seek confirmation of what he had felt and seen, so he quickly turned on the car radio. He was lucky because the radio signal was still available. That was when he heard the news that a powerful 7.8 magnitude quake had struck the Himalayan nation, flattening large parts of the capital Kathmandu and causing much destruction across the impoverished Himalayan nation. He then contacted other family members in town and was relieved to know they were all fine. “I knew my real job as an ICRC man had started. I had to gather all kinds of information from radio, online news and at the same time try to get in touch with my relatives, colleagues within ICRC, and friends. Fortunately we were still able to access the Internet, so I could update all the details of what had happened,” he said. COORDINATING HELP A GREAT SUCCESS “I had to ensure that the federation, ICRC, Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) and all other national societies, Red Cross and Red Crescent (RCRC) from different countries work together and move as a single unit to avoid duplication of efforts and wastage of resources,” he explained. Pramesh's effort in ensuring all organisations work as a single entity was considered a huge success in coping with the aftermath of the earthquake, with many losing contact with their loved ones. He had observed that people suffered terribly when they lived in uncertainty, not knowing the whereabouts of their missing relatives. It was in this regard that the ICRC played an important role in establishing contacts and sometimes reuniting family members. PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES “We also provided psychosocial support for the families of missing persons. Currently, we still have more than 1,300 people listed as missing in our database,” he pointed out. "As hundred of thousands of Nepalese were left homeless and volunteer relief efforts remained a crucial lifeline for quake victims, the solidarity among people is quite emotional to watch. During the time, all political and geographical differences were forgotten with people going out to help one another," Pramesh said. He was sad to hear that his Red Cross colleagues who were providing blood transfusion services at the ‘Kastamandap’ temple had lost their lives after the place of worship collapsed in the quake. The ancient temple that lent its name to the city of Katmandu remains in ruins. SLEEPING IN THE OPEN In the first week after the quake Pramesh's wife and son slept in the car as they did not dare enter their house. "And I slept in the open with my neighbours, no tent and no mattress as the earth still shook almost every hour due to the aftershocks," he said. Until now people who lost their loved ones, their houses, their businesses, and those who had nothing left are still wondering how they are going to rebuild their lives. The United Nations estimated that eight million people have been affected by the massive earthquake and more than six thousand people had died. It was Nepal’s worst natural disaster in 80 years. “After more than a year, and after ICRC and other humanitarian agencies, as well as the government have tried their level best to fulfill the people's expectations, not much has been done. “I would not say it is not satisfactory but people's expectations are yet to be fulfilled, it is an ongoing process." REBUILDING NEPAL IS A LONG TERM PROCESS “Rebuilding and reconstruction in disaster management is a long term process, probably the longest one. However, the process remains very slow and perhaps it will take longer than expected," he said, adding that money is one of the constraints. Though the Nepalese were known for their perseverance and they have their own way of dealing with harsh situations, but this time around it was definitely beyond their capacities to do so. So the best thing to do now is to start discussing on potential disasters in the future, to remain prepared, disseminate information to the local people and educate them on disaster relief. "This is how we can make a place that is vulnerable to natural disaster more resilient," he said, adding that discussions on the vulnerability and possibility of new earthquake were also equally important. "Experts have predicted the possibility of a bigger earthquake. If that occurs any time soon, the situation will be more dire because of the faltering infrastructure, because of the little support mechanism we have," Pramesh said. -- BERNAMA