Khaled Hasan

Around 8000 people have been killed and injured more than twice as many, which occurred at 11:56 NST on 25th April by Nepal Earthquake. Barpak village of Gorkha district is the main epicenter of this Earthquake, which has 7.9 Richter scale with moment magnitudes. It was the most powerful disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Some fatalities also have been reported in the adjoining areas of Bangladesh, India and China.

The fate of thousands of remote areas people remains unknown. Thousands of villages have been devastated, with up to 90% of clinics and schools in some districts rendered unusable. The death toll could go up, as search and rescue efforts are still continuing in several hill districts including Dhading, Rasuwa and Sindhupalchok. Hundreds of thousands of people were fear for the aftershock happened everyday and they are staying outside of their home under the sky. They are also cooking food in the open space.

In the remote villages, aid had not yet reached because of the communication. Tents and food have been provided to some places but other survivors have been left without support. In the current situation people need food, water and tents urgently to survive. Aid workers are trying to reach to most affected areas as per the availabilities of resources. But it is difficult to help all the people without any international support. It has to be clarity while distributing the aid otherwise nothing will be happening well. In the remote place of Gorkha, I have seen two people have quarreling to get a tent. So, equal distribution must to be done.

Survivors cannot even go inside the house to take out anything. Someone lost his children, someone lost his mother and someone lost his whole family. They were crying to show their family members photos. Someone just have fallen tears from theirs eyes with silence. Who are rescued after long time of Earthquake, had said it is the second life of them as they were newly born.

People left damaged home with a dilemma of risking if the rain began it could collapse with an aftershock. They are sleeping in tents or other temporary shelters. Lots of people have left Kathmandu to their village home or to relatives house in other regions where they would be safe.

A huge number of ancient monuments and important cultural buildings was damaged and cracked down. The heritage sites also destroyed by the Earthquake including some at the Kathmandu Durbar Square, the Patan Durbar Square and the Bhaktapur Durbar Square. The losses of historic buildings are uncountable and it would be needed huge amount to rebuild homes, hospitals and government offices. Nepal is now most vulnerable particularly because of its geology and urbanization. It is also at continued risk of landslides as well.

There are many shelter camps made by the local and international support for earthquake survivors. Earthquake survivors can live there in a tent with around 6 to12 people. They also get food and passing their time together. There is no hope for the future of survivors, although children were happy to be here and can play together with new friends.

If we look at the aerial view of Nepal, it looks like a war zone. Lots of its buildings list at demolished and dubious angles. And the hills area, the debris of the houses only can recognize by the wooden door, windows and sheet of twisted ribbed iron. If we getting close, it could be visualize a kitchen cupboard sticks to an external wall and also tins and packets of food still waiting on its shelves.

There are 4,242 people killed across the Sindhupalchok district, 4,000 injured, 44 still missing and 95% of homes destroyed. Most of the villages are in very remote areas; it takes five days to walk to some of them with relief items. People are in a very difficult situation; they’ve lost their family and their children are suffering. They want to go to a safe place to survive.

The survivors need to be rehabilitation from the trauma of the Earthquake that not to be ignored. They need to recover the fear of psychological aftershocks of the disaster. The emotional impact of the second quake has been devastating on all levels. It’s delaying the recovery process and people are losing faith. The geologists may just call it an aftershock, but it was the second quake.

People are still very frightened and feeling insecure. Some have lost their home and some has lost everything. They don’t know what will happen next or if the government will come to help them. If they reclaim everything from the Government then what will happen? Will everything be solved or it will go in a normal way.

I was faced the second one. I was in the Thamel area inside a store. When the earthquake has started, everything was shaking like I am in a small boat on the sea and a huge ship is hitting me each in a seconds. I have lost my sense and just ran out to the open place on the street. There was lots of people were just crying out loudly on that moment. After watching that I was also getting confused and again ran out to the big street. It was a really bad experience for me to feel the Earthquake. It was shaking and everyone starting running, everyone left from there. Everyone went to an open area.

In that time I think not to stay this place, because it hits continuously. People were getting afraid also as it hits again and again. They don’t know how they’ll live, eat and work. My baggage and everything was inside the hotel room and I didn’t have the courage to go inside the hotel building.

Nobody knows what will happen!