About the crisis

Nepal was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015. The earthquake affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people inside Nepal. As a consequence of the widespread destruction of houses, the need for emergency shelter and non-food items was enormous. Other urgent needs related to health, water and sanitation facilities (WASH) and food.

A second earthquake of a 7.3 magnitude – following thousands of aftershocks – struck Nepal in May 2015, worsening the already severe humanitarian situation. The earthquakes caused almost 9,000 deaths, destroyed 605,254 houses and damaged a further 288,255 properties.

The Dutch Relief Alliance Response

The eight participating organisations in the Nepal Joint Response all have a long history of providing humanitarian and development assistance in Nepal – either directly or through large international networks and local partners. This ensured that the organisations were equipped with valuable contextual knowledge and local relationships to ensure the rapid delivery of assistance.

Participating organisations in the Joint Response provided more than 72,000 beneficaries with shelter solutions such as tarpaulins and basic tools. In addition, more than 36,000 people received NFI kits consisting of blankets, mattresses, kitchen utensils, water containers, mugs, mosquito nets and floor mats.

Urgent WASH needs were also addressed – more than 200,000 people benefitted from access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services provided as part of the Joint Response.