What’s happening on the ground?
How are we helping?
Our Nepal Emergency partner, Maiti Nepal, is on the ground – fulfilling crucial aid requirements in the form of food security and healthcare, as well as the arrangement and distribution of oxygen to hospitals.
Cross-regional distribution of essential food packs is currently in action via our partnership with Maiti Nepal for the most hard-hit communities, especially those who have suffered unemployment and/or loss of income due to the pandemic, including trafficked women who have been rescued and sex workers without income.
Food packs contain all the staples – salt, sugar, cooking oil, lentils – as well as nutritious vegetables, including green peas and chickpeas. A single food pack costs £32 and can provide sustenance for a month.
Medical first aid services, including quarantine processes and PCR tests, as well as wider health check-ups and medication is scarce. The current infection rate in Nepal is 47%, with some locations reporting a higher percentage. As this continues to climb, more and more healthcare services will be impacted.
Our partnership with Maiti Nepal facilitates access to independent clinics, where regular health check-ups and wider medical services, including self-hygiene and sanitary products, are made available for the most vulnerable communities. Simultaneously, Maiti Nepal have setup temporary clinics for non-COVID emergencies to help stem the flow to major hospitals, which are increasingly reporting lack of beds and oxygen.
COVID-19 has seen disastrous ramifications on global economies, with hundreds of thousands pushed below the poverty line. Unforeseen loss of employment, the reduction in trade services, labour and migrant workers being left destitute and rising sexual and domestic abuse have left thousands unable to provide for themselves or their families.
Through our partnership with Maiti Nepal, we are able to identify the most vulnerable individuals and provide financial aid, allowing for payment of rent, educational fees, food and other essential amenities within the household.
