More animals in urgent need after second earthquake rocks Nepal
13/05/2015
Just two weeks after the biggest earthquake in 80 years left Nepal devastated and its animals in urgent need of attention, a second major earthquake has hit the country.
"With this new tragedy, our already urgent and critical delivery of relief becomes truly a difference between life and death for animals and their owners.”
Our disaster response team deployed to Nepal within days of the first earthquake that hit Nepal on April 25th. The disaster left 8,000 people dead, 18,000 people injured and hundreds of thousands of animals injured, without shelter and extremely vulnerable.
Hansen Thambi Prem, our Disaster Project Manager in India who was part of the response team gave a frightening insight at this time: “My experience in this disaster is unlike any other before. The aftershocks are a continual reminder that the danger is not over. We join frightened Nepalis on the street, sometimes in the middle of the night, when the larger tremors occur. We also notice that animals are only now just starting to emerge from their hiding places, as their need for food and care overcomes their fear.”
Communities and their animals in need
As a country reliant on agriculture, the recovery of local communities in Nepal is inextricably linked to the wellbeing of their animals. Over 70% of the population is employed in agriculture and the sector contributes a third of the country’s GDP.
The second earthquake has caused extensive damage and has severely impacted the recovery efforts. More people have been killed and doubtless many animals have been left in even more desperate conditions. Thankfully all our volunteer vets in the country are safe.
Having just left the country to plan the next phase of our response in Nepal, our team will now be returning in the wake of fresh devastation. Scott Cantin, our Disaster Communications Manager said “I fear this disaster will push an already fragile and vulnerable population into unimaginable suffering. I saw people putting their own lives at risk, sharing precious food and shelter with their animals, just last week. With this new tragedy, our already urgent and critical delivery of relief becomes truly a difference between life and death for animals and their owners.”
Help us protect animals and livelihoods in Nepal
Thank you for your generosity in helping us protect animals in Nepal. This latest destruction has left yet more communities and their animals in the most desperate conditions.
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