Nepal earthquake response: What was achieved
On 25 April 2015, a powerful earthquake struck some of the most vulnerable communities in Nepal and it was followed by a strong aftershock several days later. Together, these quakes claimed over 9,000 lives, displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and caused damage worth US$7 billion.
World Vision successfully wrapped up its response to this disaster in May 2018 after three years of working side by side with affected communities to help them build back better.
Overall, we were able to provide 573,688 people across 10 of the hardest hit districts with support in areas including shelter, livelihoods, education, child protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, and infrastructure rebuilding.
“I’d like to take a moment to thank the Government of Nepal, our local NGO partners, the communities with whom we work and of course, our donors, without whom we would not have been able to fund the response,” said Liz Satow, National Director for World Vision International Nepal.
The earthquake and aftershocks destroyed more that 605,000 homes, making hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
Nepal earthquake: Facts and figures
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, followed by a 7.3 magnitude aftershock on 12 May. The combined death toll was 8,891, with over 22,000 people injured.
The earthquake and aftershocks destroyed more than 605,000 homes and damaged a further 288,000, leaving hundreds of thousands of families homeless.
The following figures paint a picture of the scale of destruction and of the massive reconstruction and rehabilitation effort required to get Nepal back on its feet:
- 1,200 health facilities were damaged or destroyed.
- More than 1,500 water supply systems were damaged and a further 3,663 partially damaged and 220,000 toilets were partially or completely destroyed.
- Personal income amounting to US$170 million was lost.
- The education of an estimated 1.5 million children was disrupted, with 36,000 classroom completely destroyed and 17,000 more damaged.
How World Vision helped Nepal’s earthquake survivors
Within 24 hours of the earthquake, our teams already on the ground were providing survivors with food and emergency essentials such as blankets and tarpaulins.
Over three years, World Vision reached 573,688 people including 248,259 children with relief and recovery support.
We've helped communities build back better by:
- building or rehabilitating 12 health posts, 14 schools and 105 irrigation systems;
- advising and supporting 11,340 people to rebuild their homes to better withstand future disasters;
- training 151 stonemasons to support rebuilding efforts; and
- rehabilitating or building 199 water supply systems.
Our team on the ground overcame many challenges including Nepal’s harsh monsoon weather, fuel shortages and logistical difficulties due to rough terrain.
Who received assistance?