Karuna fundraising
Nepal floods: help communities rebuild
On the 26th of August, catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal. In Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, entire riverside settlements, schools and dozens of bridges have been completely washed away.
Karuna has opened the Rebuild fund. When the water recedes and the cameras leave, the real work of rebuilding will begin, and we want the resources waiting for our in-country partners when they call.
What are our partners telling us?
The staff of our partner organisations are safe and accounted for. The devastation in the neighbouring communities is catastrophic. Future Generation Nepal have confirmed that one of the people they worked with lost their life in the floods.
Right now, local agencies and first responders are working tirelessly to provide immediate food, shelter and medical care. Along with our partners, we must prepare for what comes next.
The support will run out before the need does
“At present, three layers of the Government and a few NGOs have distributed relief materials, but we have witnessed in the past that the needs are neglected after six months or a year.”
Ram, Green Tara Nepal
Future Generation Nepal share the same fear. They told us they are concerned that the current support may run out within a few weeks or months, and that the real challenge will be rebuilding lives and addressing the long-term instability left by the disaster, particularly for children.
Children are under threat
Schools and the roads that lead to them are destroyed, leaving children without education but also without safe spaces. This vulnerability following disasters is routinely exploited. FGN are already working with authorities to set up checkpoints to prevent child trafficking in the wake of the disaster.
Karuna is not an emergency relief charity
Our long history working alongside these communities at times of disaster, whether through the 2015 earthquakes, Cyclone Amphan or the pandemic, means we know what happens after the emergency phase ends.
It is simply too early for these devastated communities to know the full scale of what they will need from us. What we do know is that we want to be ready to act when they call.
When our partners are ready to reconstruct temporary learning centres, restore livelihoods, protect vulnerable children and provide psycho-social counselling to help people deal with the trauma of losing homes and family members, we want to make sure the resources are there. This is what the fund is for.
As we learn more about what is needed, we will update this page.
