Aid following the earthquake in Nepal
People in Switzerland donated over CHF 32.5 million francs for the victims of the devastating earthquake in Nepal. Find out how the donations were used here.
© Swisscontact
The earthquake on 25 April 2015 and the many aftershocks occurring until mid-May caused massive damage. Over 9,000 people were killed, 22,000 were injured and 600,000 houses were destroyed.
Getting relief to people in remote valleys and villages proved to be the biggest challenge in the weeks following the disaster. Many roads were completely destroyed or blocked by landslips.
Yet with the help of Swiss NGOs’ local partners, emergency aid was rapidly provided and several weeks later reconstruction work could begin.
« We have all been deeply affected by the earthquake in Nepal and its impact on the country’s people. Thanks to our donors’ solidarity, we have been able to deliver appropriate emergency aid, fund badly needed reconstruction projects and implement long-term, sustainable prevention measures. »Charline Franz, Humanitarian Programme Manager
With the generous donations made we have been able to fund 34 projects over the past five years. 11 Swiss partner NGOs and 8 local organizations have run these projects.
Five years after the natural disaster occurred, people now live in earthquake-proof housing, have access to health centres and their children can go to school – thanks to you.
An important part of this reconstruction work involved repairing the water supply and irrigation systems.
What was the experience of the local people: was the aid effective and sustainable? And did the families who really needed it get the support they required?
These were the key questions in the survey we commissioned in February 2020 from the independent local consulting company Scott Wilson Nepal. Local authorities were also asked about their experiences cooperating with the Swiss aid agencies.
The survey was carried out in two communities in the Sindhulpalchok district, which was severely hit by the earthquake. Three of our partners – Caritas, Helevtas and Solidar Suisse – worked jointly on several projects in this region.
1,500 people took part in the survey, including schoolchildren, house-owners and the authorities in the villages.
We wanted to know from the earthquake victims how efficient, expedient and sustainable our aid is. The results of the evaluation clearly show how important and lasting our work and that of our partner NGOs is.Ernst Lüber, Programme Manager, Swiss Solidarity
The survey produced a very positive picture of the aid provided by Switzerland. Most respondents said that the support met their most important needs.
The 24 surveyed members of the local authorities were also very positive about the cooperation with the aid agencies and the way in which they and the local people had been involved. They also said that the local people had greatly benefited from the NGOs’ expertise, for example in making buildings quake-proof and in reconstructing water systems.
Swiss Solidarity, 1211 Geneva 8
Your donation is tax deductible in Switzerland.
