Relief and humanitarian operations in central Nepal are far from over two weeks after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country, already one of the world’s poorest before the catastrophe. With currently more than 8,000 recorded fatalities, the recent quake is Nepal’s worst disaster in over 80 years.
To boost the efficiency of emergency response, local government agencies and humanitarian partners have already implemented the cluster approach. This needs-based coordination system ensures fewer aid gaps and less overlaps in NGO work by assigning different humanitarian organizations to focus on specific sectors, such as shelter or food.
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Below, we list some of the most active international humanitarian organizations currently seeking funding or aid workers to support their efforts on the ground in Nepal. This roundup is not exhaustive, and is based on the latest operational presence maps of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as on listings on the Devex website.
Cluster: Shelter, food, education and protection
Nepal earthquake appeal
For over 30 years, ActionAid has been championing the rights of marginalized communities in Nepal, some of which are among the worst affected by the disaster. The organization has responded to the needs of survivors by providing food, clothes, drinking water and shelter. It also plans to offer psychosocial support to address trauma, and assist injured people in gaining access to appropriate medical care.
Cluster: Health
Nepal earthquake appeal
Connecticut-based AmeriCares has already provided nearly $1 million in emergency medical support to the victims of the Nepal earthquake. The foundation has airlifted 14 tons of antibiotics, pain relievers, sutures, bandages, crutches and intravenous fluids, and has deployed medical teams that treat an average of 120 patients a day.
Cluster: Food, protection, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene
Nepal earthquake appeal
CARE has been empowering women, securing livelihoods and fighting for social justice in Nepal since 1978. Staff on the ground were quick to respond to the recent earthquake and have since distributed food, water purifiers, soap and mats to families in some of the hardest hit areas.
Cluster: WASH, shelter and early recovery
Nepal earthquake appeal
Concern Worldwide worked for four years in Nepal, focusing on livelihood, nutrition, water and sanitation, before handing over its programs to local partners. In response to the recent disaster, it is cooperating with two national organizations — Rural Reconstruction Nepal and Nepal Water for Health — to distribute shelter and relief kits to 14,000 families in the Sindhulpalchowk, Dolakha and Sindhuli districts.
Concern Worldwide also plans to help rebuild damaged water and sanitation infrastructure and restore livelihoods by providing ready access to cash.
Cluster: Unspecified
Jobs in Nepal
Counterpart International has been cooperating with local partners, communities and government agencies for almost 50 years in order to advance economic development, effective governance and food security in more than 65 countries worldwide. The organization is currently seeking development professionals interested in doing meaningful work in Nepal.
International Organization for Migration
Cluster: Camp coordination and camp management, protection, and health
Nepal earthquake appeal
With offices in over 100 countries, IOM has been working with governmental, intergovernmental and nongovernmental partners since 1951. It is the leading global organization in the area of migration management, and works to promote humane migration and international cooperation on migration issues.
A solid presence in Nepal since 2007, IOM has sprung into action in the aftermath of the recent disaster. It leads the camp coordination and camp management cluster, which involves overseeing field operations in order to effectively respond to the most urgent needs of the displaced. IOM aims to raise $31 million in support of its disaster response efforts for CCCM, shelter, health, protection and early recovery.
Cluster: Water, sanitation and hygiene / CCCM
Nepal earthquake appeal
LWR has been in Nepal since 2009, where it has been promoting long-term development and disaster resiliency in rural poor communities. The organization’s projects include disaster prevention and mitigation training, improvement of farming techniques, and the provision of irrigation systems to over 1,000 families.
In the wake of the recent quake, LWR has been providing blankets, personal care kits and water filtration units to those affected. It has already raised more than $1 million in emergency relief funds, and continues to solicit more as the country enters the next phases of recovery.
Cluster: Education, shelter and health
Nepal earthquake appeal | Jobs in Nepal
Since 2006, Mercy Corps Nepal has been helping girls stay in school, teaching women financial literacy, assisting the rural poor with loans and savings, training communities to prepare for disasters and empowering many of the country’s small farmers.
With an on-the-ground team of over 100, Mercy Corps intends to focus its disaster response on the delivery of emergency supplies to more remote areas, as well as on the creation of long-term recovery plans. The organization will most likely also tap its network of financial institutions to provide people with the cash they need to begin rebuilding their lives.
Cluster: WASH and shelter
Nepal earthquake appeal
Oxfam has been fighting poverty and injustice faced by minorities in Nepal since the 1980s. When the earthquake hit, the organization was among the first to respond, assessing needs and providing urgent humanitarian assistance.
Among Oxfam’s priorities is the prevention of secondary disasters such as disease outbreaks, which is why it has begun building sanitation facilities in temporary camps, as well as providing clean water and emergency shelter to the displaced.
Cluster: Protection, shelter, WASH, education and logistics
Nepal earthquake appeal | Jobs in Nepal
Plan International has been championing the rights of poor children in Nepal since 1978 by influencing policy and supporting early childhood care and education centers. The organization’s relief efforts in the aftermath of the recent quake prioritize the needs of children and their families, and involve the provision of shelter, emotional support and protection.
Plan International currently has over 100 humanitarian activities in Nepal, as well as several professional opportunities for aid workers and development specialists.
Cluster: Early recovery and WASH
Nepal earthquake appeal | Jobs in Nepal
Relief International has been working in Nepal since 1986, and is dedicated to closing the gap between emergency relief and long-term development. Aside from implementing its emergency response program, the organization has deployed a team to conduct long-term assessments of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake.
Cluster: CCCM, health, shelter and food
Nepal earthquake appeal
This Christian organization works in many of the world’s crisis areas, providing compassionate care to the most vulnerable populations. Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a 30-strong disaster response team to assess and address the needs of the Nepal earthquake’s victims. It is currently working to reach 30,000 affected households, providing them with emergency shelter, medical supplies, water filtration systems and hygiene kits.
Cluster: Education, protection, health, shelter and WASH
Nepal earthquake appeal | Jobs in Nepal
Operating in Nepal since 1976, this child-focused organization has been present in 63 districts, where it works in the areas of child protection, child rights governance, education, health and nutrition, livelihoods, HIV and AIDS, and humanitarian response.
Since the earthquake hit, Save the Children has focused on addressing the urgent needs of children, the most vulnerable victims of any disaster. In addition to co-leading the U.N.’s education cluster, the organization is distributing emergency shelter kits, infant care kits, WASH supplies and kitchen sets to affected families in different areas.
SOS Children’s Villages International
Cluster: Food, health and WASH
Nepal earthquake appeal
Having been in Nepal since the 1960s, SOS Children’s Villages International has a deep, contextual understanding of the issues and problems that plague the impoverished nation. The organization’s work throughout the years has focused largely on improving the quality of life of children and families through education, medical services, family strengthening programs, and family-based care for orphaned and abandoned children.
With most SOS Children’s Villages located within or nearby the areas hit hardest by the quake, the organization began providing humanitarian assistance almost immediately. Its teams are currently on the ground setting up emergency relief camps, reuniting children with their families and providing child-friendly spaces and social centers.
Cluster: Protection, education, shelter, WASH and food
Nepal earthquake appeal | Jobs in Nepal
While formal operations in Nepal began in 2001, World Vision has been supporting local development groups in the country since 1982 through the funding of hospitals and other health care initiatives. The international organization has endured the country’s other disasters, such as the 1988 earthquake and 1993 flooding, and is continuing to respond to the needs of the victims of Nepal’s most recent temblor.
Aside from providing basic necessities such as tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats and hygiene and emergency kits, World Vision is setting up child-friendly spaces where children can safely play and interact with one another. These venues for expression, paired with learning modules and activities, aim to help children overcome the distress caused by the quake.
Is your international organization actively contributing to relief efforts in Nepal? We’d love to hear more about it at news@devex.com.
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About the author
Liana Barcia
Liana is a former Manila-based reporter at Devex focusing on education, development finance, and public-private partnerships.
