KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 20
The European Union has allocated €70 000 (over Rs 9.8 million) in response to the earthquake that hit the western part of Nepal earlier this month.
This EU funding will help reconstitute the stocks that the Nepalese Red Cross Society used during its emergency response which targeted 7,500 people in the worst-hit localities in Sudurpaschim Province, the epicentre of the quake.
Namely, the funding will help to supply new shelter and household items, including tarpaulins, blankets and mattresses as preventive measures of other disasters. NRCS also distributed health kits to the quake-affected area. Likewise, hygiene awareness campaigns are also being launched.
The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. On October 3, a 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit the western part of Sudurpaschim Province. The epicentre was located in Bajhang district and tremors were felt in six neighbouring districts.
At least 36,250 people were affected by the quake, with over 1,500 houses fully destroyed and another 5,600 partially destroyed, according to primary estimation.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 21, 2023, of The Himalayan Times
