Nepal

• Background

  • Gorkha, Nepal
  • 25th April 2015
  • GDP: $690
  • Destructive plate boundary
  • 7.8 on Richter Scale
• Primary Effects

  • Around 9000 died
  • More than 22,000 injured
  • Estimated 800,000 buildings damaged or destroyed
  • 4 million left homeless
  • Cost of damage over $5 billion
  • Water tanks and pipes destroyed, leaving 2 million without access to clean water and sanitation
• Secondary Effects

  • Earthquake triggered avalanches on Mount Everest, killing 18 people
  • Many mountain roads blocked by landslides, preventing emergency aid from reaching remove areas
  • A lack of clean water caused outbreaks of typhus, killing 13
  • Avalanches left 250 missing in Langtang
• Immediate Responses

  • India and China sent teams to help residents rescue people trapped by debris, but a lack of tools and machinery slowed down rescue efforts
  • Charities such as Oxfam provided medicine, food and temporary water supplies
  • The Red Cross set up emergency shelters for 130,000 families who had lost their homes
• Long-term Responses

  • World Bank Group financed $500 million worth of projects to build earthquake-resistant housing and repair roads
  • Many heritage sites reopened June 2015 to encourage tourists back
  • Two years later, many people still don't have access to clean water