Nepal Earthquake: Urgent Need for Water, Sanitation and Food

29 April 2015

The 7.8 magnitude quake that struck between the Nepalese city of Pokhara and the capital Kathmandu is the worst to hit the country in 80 years and leaves children particularly vulnerable.

As the death toll rises above 4000 people after the massive earthquake that hit Nepal on Saturday, an estimated hundred thousand people are homeless and in urgent need of water, sanitation and food. The Nepalese government has stepped up its calls for urgent international help and the UN mounts a major relief effort and support in dealing with the humanitarian crisis. UNICEF and World Food Programme have launched massive aid operations.

UNICEF estimates that nearly 1 million children have been "severely affected" by the disaster and has prepositioned supplies, including water purification tablets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and nutrition supplies. World Food Programme’s specialized emergency teams have arrived into Nepal to support logistics, IT and food needs.

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Summary

Most disasters are caused by a combination of hazards, some related to water and other of geological and biological origin. Such events include those triggered by earthquakes, such as tsunamis, landslides that dam rivers, breakage of levees and dams, as well as glacier lake outbursts, coastal flooding associated with abnormal or rising sea levels, and epidemics and pest outbreaks associated with too little or too much water.

Water-related hazards account for 90% of all natural hazards, and their frequency and intensity is generally rising.