True Grit

I am now preparing to leave after a month here in Nepal. Officially the immediate emergency phase of food distribution, seeds and tools, shelter , hygiene kits etc. is now coming to an end and we are in phase 2...recovery.


I took some time to stand on the balcony of my flat here in Kathmandu this afternoon. When I arrived back in mid May the open ground opposite was covered with tents, tarpaulins and makeshift shelters as everyone was fearful of another earthquake. No one wanted to sleep inside in case of a collapse during the aftershocks. Now I look again and there are no tents left, people have gradually made their way back into the houses, the schools have opened again and the notorious traffic is back on the streets, blocking the roads and causing a lot of pollution in the process. One could say that life has returned to normal, we even have electricity  cuts i.e. load shedding again ( i.e. blackouts for 12 hours a day)


However it  is not a return to normal, people still have to carry the fear that the cracks in the house may turn into a need to demolish it , that the cracks in the ground may turn into landslides and most of all there seems a resignation that this event will take years and years to recover from. I feel as if people, despite being exhausted and mourning, are now settling into the long haul of recovery. The grit and determination of this amazing group of people is a real inspiration.

Cleaning up the debris

Just back from village visits, it is going to be along haul for Nepal to rebuild in the hills areas as nearly all houses are affected. The earthquake ( the first one, biggest one) took 56 seconds. I was in a friends house this week and he showed me on the ceiling where his pendant lamp fitting ( hanging from the ceiling) had impacted and damaged the ceiling above. Imagine the force to make it swing thorough at least 90 degrees! then count off 56 seconds , similar time to a minutes silence we often keep. The damage caused in that minute is going to take 5 maybe 10 years to repair.
In the villages I saw over the last few days some houses are completely destroyed, others look OK at a distance but when you walk past them you can see the walls are nearly always cracked from side to side or the gable ends are coming out or the roof is about to fall in. The construction of houses in the hills is a type of dry stone walling or wooden frame covered with mud and straw. Here it is called lipnu but in Devon we would say cob. Once that cracks and with the monsoon any day, there is little choice for them but to stay out in tents or makeshift shelters.
There is a particular smell as one walks through these villages, it is of dust and old fusty materials exposed to the air for the first time in years, mixed with smoke and soot ( many fallen buildings caught fire as everyone cooks on wood fires and the dry debris would have caught). Every now and again you can get the unmistakeable smell of decomposing bodies ( mainly livestock killed and not yet disposed of , but some human remains too). It is 37degrees C during the day in most areas, we now hope for the rains to wash away the debris but the next step is to ensure drinking water is kept clean.

Veggies

Sorry for the delay in writing since my last blog. It has been quite hectic, we had a huge aftershock on Saturday night at around 10.30pm. My bed was moving all over the place and in no time everyone was out on the street. However after some minutes the panic was over and we all trooped back again. It must have been around 5.5-6.0, as some of the neighbours were saying they don't bother getting out of bed for anything under a 5 nowadays!
Great news, the application I submitted a few weeks ago for around $200,000 for the first part of the seeds programme has come through. Rice seed has gone out and we have placed orders for 7500 vegetable seed packs today. Each pack contains 19 different veg seeds which we have crossed checked with the health team to make sure they have a good range of nutritive benefits. These are now going out with the cultivation tools and we will follow that with millet seed later.
We are now procuring waterproof grain bags so the existing wheat which is still being harvested can be safely stored before the monsoon as any remaining shelter is being used by the people.
There are very large cracks in many of the fields and terraces so the irrigation system is not working well. There is a fear that in the monsoon these cracks will allow more rain to percolate than normal and cause more landslides. Not much we can do at this stage but advise to cultivate away from the edges.

Multipication tables

This will sound like a school maths lesson , but is reality here.
1) We are working with roughly one tenth of the population of Dhading District (much bigger proportion by area as we are in the highest elevations near to Tibet where the population density is lower).
2) Dhading is one of 6 districts severely affected by the earthquakes.
3) I am working on the Livelihoods Sector ( food security and agriculture) , others in our team are covering health, sanitation , water supply , education ( temporary schools, children should go back next week!)and shelter ( temporary until now but eventually replacing houses destroyed). Not to mention trauma counselling, internal displacement etc.
4) In just my sector I have this week written proposals and concept notes for the immediate need in our working area of ( seeds, tools etc. ) of $200,000 and long term recovery( livestock, cropping, irrigation system repair etc) as being $800,000.
Now it is possible to do the multiplication just in Livelihoods across all districts we are talking  many millions being needed.
The Nepali government have just confirmed the international donor conference will be held in Kathmandu on June 25th. This will involve countries who can help through their aid budgets. I feel by then the final bill will only just have been calculated but lets hope the donors are generous.

Livestock trauma

Below is a picture of an aid flight coming into Kathmandu airport. These very heavy flights are now being limited as the airport is small and they fear they may damage to runway.
The logistics of getting equipment from this stage to the high Himalaya areas we are working in in Lapa and Ree is quite a headache. It is amazing to see what UMN has achieved to date.
I went to the Ministry of Agriculture here in Kathmandu again yesterday for our weekly partner meeting with other relief groups in agriculture. They are now finding that the surviving livestock have been badly shocked by the 2 earthquakes and aftershocks. The level of abortion is high, they are not feeding and are tense. A recent example of this was reported that when a helicopter came in to land in the high Himalaya some goats died on the spot (because of the noise and surprise I guess).

Time to get planting

Latest trip to the field included liaising with the District Agricultural Officer and the distribution hub in Dhading Besi the main town in Dhading district. We are distributing to 9000 households here right up to the Tibet border. Met with helicopter team who are still able to make 15 flights a day. The weather is closing in as the monsoon approaches , we are getting rain each day now of varying ferocity. I think we have around a week left before the full monsoon starts. A lot of the people in the high Himalayan region ( 10,000 ft altitude and above, areas like Lapa and Ree ) are now coming down as they realise it is impossible to try to plant or find shelter until after the rains. This is an additional problem as they are now internally displaced people ( IPD) and an additional challenge. Many are setting up camp around Dhading Besi. At last we have the green light from donors to buy more rice and veg seeds to add to the FAO supply, seeds are now being distributed and not a day too soon.

Landslides, rain and debris

Over the last few days I have been out to Bhaktapur, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the beautiful medieval architecture and temple complex. It looks now like a bomb site, the temples are all but completely razed to the ground. Just piles of bricks, and the houses are often without the gable ends so you can look right into the rooms and the walls are leaning out in a dangerous way. All the buildings are in such a  poor state that not many are habitable , many are still digging in the rubble to try to retrieve something. In the newspaper yesterday there was the report of a couple who died on Saturday, he was 65 she 55. They had gone back into their home to retrieve goods and a beam fell on him and then the stones and bricks fell on his wife who was near the door!
The monsoon is gradually coming, on Saturday night we had a terrific storm which closed the airport for an hour as all the tents, tarpaulins etc. were blown over the runway.
On Sunday there was a huge landslide which blocked one of Nepal's major rivers , the Kali Gandaki. This is a big river and soon a lake had formed threatening the villages below if it broke out. Thankfully I heard today that it has found a small channel to gradually drain through the landslide so I think the danger has gone for now.

Earthquakes Near You

Earthquakes Near You




By clicking on this you can track recent aftershocks in the region

Second phase

Last few days have been involved with meetings and coordination with Food and Agriculture Organisation( FAO) and World Food Programme ( WFP). We are distributing food packs to each of 9000 households in the mountain area including rice, pulses, oil , salt ,tea, sugar and spices. Also hygiene and medical kits, tools for building ( e.g. pick axes, shovels) and tarpaulins for immediate shelter.
The next step is to get the rice seed distributed, this has been acquired by FAO and we plan to distribute our share together with cultivation tools. This will be followed by vegetable seed and millet later in the season. One problem is that there is a huge demand for seed and only a limited amount available. The government also is stipulating that it must be accredited seed, not imported and no GM or hybrid seed so this is an extra strain.
The focus is now moving from immediate relief to the next phase of recovery. It is interesting to see that a lot of teams are now leaving e.g. US army going this week, and other groups coming. We are putting together our phase two proposals too and I am taking a lead on the livelihoods element.

Another big shock

Busy day, getting hotter and hotter now as we are in the pre-monsoon period. The weather will break very soon so all hands to the pump with regard to getting supplies out to the rural areas where landslides have already happened due to the earthquake and they will be made worse when the rain comes.
Having the expected trouble in procurement, in that things like hand hoes, long handle hoes ( kodalo) ploughs etc. have all been lost or broken in the hills. Also many buffalo and cows who could pull the plough have been killed.  There is a limit as to how many tools we can find and so blacksmiths are hard at it to produce more.
During this afternoon I had to go to change quite a few Pound sterling to Nepali rupees for my next weeks expenses. All was well I handed my money over , got a receipt, they calculated the exchange and let me sign the receipt for the rupees to come. I waited while they counted it out.... at which point there was the noise of a huge siren. Earthquake alert! There was the shout of " Ai..yo" meaning it's coming and everyone dropped everything and we all raced from the building to the green area outside. After some minutes the panic subsided, we started to wander back, when I realised I had yet to collect my rupees. Getting back to the counter we picked up where we had left off and I picked up my cash with no problem. It was a good example of the stoic Nepali spirit and honesty. ( It was another 5+ on the Richter , same as last Saturday)

Cash or vouchers?

Another busy day in Kathmandu, attended UN offices for presentation on various forms of cash transfer. The immediate needs in the hills are being met by helicopter and truck . We managed to get an extra helicopter delivery out yesterday provided by the Indian army as it was available at the airport without a task ( bit like buses either none at all or they all come at once!)
Cash transfer is one of the options whereby we can provide money to the beneficiaries so they can quickly and easily buy local goods such as fertiliser or green vegetables. Of course care needs to be taken to ensure this is done in a co-ordinated way and is only applicable for limited goods. The idea is to use it to support , but not replace, other physical relief materials. Hence the meeting today, on balance the idea of vouchers seem best, so we will be looking at this option in the future.
We have also had an offer of financial help to deliver rice and vegetable seeds in our working area. I am busy preparing a costing for this to be submitted tomorrow.

Attended the World Food Programme office this morning for the Food Security Cluster meeting. This groups all the agencies currently working in the area of supplying food aid and agricultural recovery programmes. We are doing both.
Main issues surround the logistics of getting the right seeds to the right paces at the right time, but it is great to see this is being coordinated so well. We discussed at length the choice of seed and crops which we may have to fall back on if time gets away for ideal rice planting season. There is also a need to replace livestock killed by falling buildings and rocks in the hills. Also to replace tools and equipment which have been buried to actually get the land cultivated.
Very excited to see that our project was in the main newspaper ( The Himalayan) today as having a photo and article of one of the helicopters delivering food aid.
Found people are using internet site (Lastquake) to monitor aftershocks. So far we have had 6 of them on Friday, 9 Saturday, 3 Sunday and 1 today. I have only felt those over 5 on the Richter scale which were on Saturday the others were all 4 or less.

Sunday in Kathmandu

I went to the church we normally go to in south Kathmandu ( Patan) , it is held in large school hall/games area. I was amazed to find it was the same as usual, packed with ex-pat and Nepali people ( around 200 I guess) but the whole of the back wall was missing!! They had used  a couple of blue tarpaulins to cover it and carried on with the service. During the service at the normal time for notices to be announced they also gave us the exit strategy from the building in case of earthquake.
Later in the day I called in to the house where Elizabeth and I lived when we were working on the Swiss project back in 2010. The house is still there but the whole of the perimeter wall has also fallen in. Our landlord and his family are OK but I still do not know the fate of our housekeeper, Tara, who lived in a very old house further into the city.

Arrived in Kathmandu

It is now 8.45 am on Sunday 17th May, I arrived on Friday night and have just got the internet connection. It has been a very hectic time to organise the return to Nepal but I am so glad to be here at last. On the flight in from Delhi our flight was delayed to load on extra tents provided by India for the relief effort. Whilst flying over the area leading into Kathmandu I could clearly see the villages perched on the sides of the hills, but at each village from the air I could see a patchwork of orange rectangles. All these were tents where the villagers were sheltering. The airport was crammed with relief deliveries, and many military helicopters, osprey planes etc. from various countries. In yesterdays newspaper ( The Himalayan) they have reported finding the lost American Huey helicopter ( 8 crew and passengers killed) 10 miles north of Charikot. It went down during the second earthquake, which had its epicentre there. The old buildings in Kathmandu have been badly damaged. Many people are still sleeping in tents outside as we are still getting aftershocks. Yesterday I was sitting in my room when it felt as if someone was pushing and pulling the chair from side to side ( only lasted a few seconds but it was un-nerving). A Nepali friend told me that 5 aftershocks were recorded on the internet yesterday, I only felt 2 so maybe the rest were small.  Many rescue teams are still here , especially Chinese, Japanese and European groups.

Situation in Dhading

A truck with tarpaulins and hygiene kits has left Hetauda at 5:50 am this morning, and is expected to arrive at Galaudi warehouse shortly.

 

Procurement issues;

• The current rice stock will be exhausted after Jeevanpur and Satyadevi distribution.
• The current stock of oil will be exhausted after Jeevanpur and Satyadevi distribution.
• With the current stock, there will be almost nothing left for Pida and Mahadevsthan distribution. The requirement for these two VDCs (Pida 2250 h/h and Mahadevsthan 1250 h/h) has been calculated as follows;

 

Description	Unit	Quantity
Rice	25 kg bags X 2	7000
Oil	Ltr X 3	10500
Salt	Kg X 1	3500
Daal	Kg X 7	24500
Sugar	Kg X 1	3500
Tarpaulin	Pc X 1	3500
Blanket	Pc X 1	3500
Utensils	Set X 1	3500
Hygiene kit	Kit X 1	3500

 

• There is possibility of procuring salt, sugar, oil and Daal from Salt Trading Corporation. Please follow up this and let us know.
• The tarpaulin requirement for Jeewanpur seems to have been obtained but blankets are still not there.

 

Distribution;

• No helicopters are available for today.
• The team that left yesterday for Chimchok reached the distribution centre at around 10:00 this morning.
• Loading of trucks for distribution in Jeewanpur tomorrow will take place today at Galaudi. About 20 trucks will be required.

Aftershocks ( 13th May)

I am just finishing preparations for the flight to Kathmandu tomorrow. After the second earthquake we have had this latest advisory about aftershocks.


I arrive on the 15th May, so will need to keep alert to this risk.

As is normal, there will continue to be many, felt aftershocks that do little or no damage. Some

aftershocks may be strong enough to be felt widely throughout the area and may cause
additional damage, particularly to vulnerable structures and those already weakened by the

mainshock and the aftershocks. Although aftershocks may occur less often, people should

remain aware of the possibility of aftershocks in the coming weeks and months,
especially when working in or around vulnerable structures or in landslide-prone areas.

• Within the week of May 13 to May 19, the USGS estimates that the chance of at least

one magnitude 5 to 6 aftershock is about 80% and 0 to 4 such events may occur.

new quake

I am just back from Berlin where we have been meeting with Bread for the World, with a view for funding for Nepal.


Just herd of the new earthquake today, this is right in the centre of the area I was working in with the forestry project ( 2008-2010) at a place called Charikot. This is the latest info from OCHA.

A new earthquake measuring 7.3 magnitude struck today (12 May) at 12:50 local time (UTC +5:45). The epicentre was southeast of Kodari (Sindhupalchowk District), 76 km northeast of Kathmandu – an area already affected by the 25 April quake. The initial quake was followed by several aftershocks including a 5.6 magnitude tremor with the epicentre in Kodari and a 6.3magnitude one with the epicentre in Ramechhap District. Strong aftershocks continue to be felt. Landslides were reported in Langtang Region in the Himalayas. Many areas around the epicentre are particularly susceptible to landslides. As of 16:00 local time (UTC +5:45), there are reports so far of 24 people dead and another 543 injured. 5 people were reported rescued in Charikot. Reports of people buried under rubble are also coming in from across the country, including from Tatopani. Some buildings damaged by the 25 April quake collapsed today in Gorkha District and Chautara (Sindhupalchowk District). New damage to housing and infrastructure is also being reported across the districts. The earthquake caused some panic and many people fled to and remain in open spaces. The existing camps in Chautara remain open and are accommodating additional people.

OCHA situation report , Thursday 7th May

This report is produced by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 4 to 6 May 2015.


Food Security
Needs:

 More than 3.5 million people are estimated to be in need of food assistance. Of them, an estimated 1.4 million most affected people have been prioritized for immediate food assistance.



Response:

 2,693 MT of food has been dispatched and is currently being distributed in 15 districts.



 34 MT of high energy biscuits were distributed across the affected districts.

 Food assistance activities using cash are being planned in Makawanpur based on the market functionality assessment.

Gaps & Constraints:

 Rice seed needs to be procured and distributed to farmers within the next three weeks.



 Additional airlift capacity is needed for food distribution.

Wednesday meeting notes in kathmandu

1. Helicopters:
   1. Still not able to use
   2. Now have more information on roads/bridges for accessing remote areas.
   3. Need to apply through logistics cluster for helicopter.
2. Food security:
   1. The time for planting seeds is approaching and need to have an idea of community needs in this area and to find out what has already been planted
   2. Ensure the needs assessment includes questions on seeds
   3. Need to ensure seeds are delivered together with food so people are not tempted to eat treated seeds

Just had a great email from a friend in Kathmandu( see below) to link my work up with Sebastian. Hope we can meet next week.

Hello Sebastian and Roger,

I would like to connect you two together because I believe there might be a good opportunity for earthquake response. Here's why:

This morning Sebastian contacted me about a need he has for an agriculturalist for the areas where he is serving and affected by the earthquake.
Roger has loads of experience as an agriculturalist and knows Nepal well and speaks very good Nepali like Sebastian. I am including at the end of this message Rogers letter to me regarding his willingness to serve. He has actually booked his ticket to come to Nepal in a few days.

Preparations for Nepal ..May 2015

I am resurrecting this blog which I have not really used since 2012 but I feel it could be good to keep all of my supporters informed of my work in Nepal after the earthquake in April 2015. 


As you may know I had just got back from a month working in Nepal 10 days before the earthquake occurred . We are devastated by the news, and have many colleagues and friends there affected. The impact of the earthquake on food security and agricultural livelihoods is expected to be very high. Farmers who miss the planting season that is expected to start late May onwards will be unable to harvest rice again until late 2016. This, together with likely losses of food stocks and wheat and maize harvests, would severely limit food supplies and incomes . Some of the country’s most vulnerable agricultural areas, particularly the villages in mountain and hilly regions, bore the brunt of the earthquake.
I have offered to help and have been invited to come out to help with the food security initiative being arranged by United Mission to Nepal ( UMN).


I have to go to Berlin on May 8th-10th  for meetings with a related organisation there, and so plan to be back in Nepal as soon as possible after that ( 15th May ).  I have had a tremendous response from you all when I asked for support to help with the cost of my time and travel in Nepal. The flight has now been booked and I will be leaving on the 14th May to Kathmandu.