Stop Hunger Now/Wine To Water Nepal Relief
In response to the earthquakes that devastated Nepal in April and May, 2015, Stop Hunger Now (SHN) and Wine To Water (WTW) have partnered to support the people affected by these events with clean water. All told, after the initial earthquake in April and the many subsequent aftershocks, more than 8,500 people have been killed, more than 650,000 were left without a home, and over 3 million people do not have access to clean water and sanitation. These problems were then compounded with the onslaught of monsoon season, which began as expected in June. Torrential rains have made conditions significantly worse for those still living in tents and temporary shelters.
As a response to these conditions, Stop Hunger Now has contributed over 450 Sawyer water filters directly to Wine To Water’s field operations in Nepal. Through this partnership, 5,355 people have been provided a clean water solution in a time of desperate need.
The need and importance of this relief cannot be overstated. The earthquake, lack of water and sanitation infrastructure, the monsoon conditions, and the difficult terrain in Nepal have contributed to significant increases in water-borne illnesses. In nearly all of the communities visited by WTW in Nepal, diarrhea was a significant problem, especially amongst the youngest and oldest of the populations. The Sawyer filters distributed directly address this problem.
As part of the operations, in each community SHN/WTW worked, leaders from the local population were identified. The representatives were fully trained on the maintenance and follow-up procedures for the filters and were given the responsibility to help the community use the filters to maximum benefit. This operational model was found to be extremely effective in the uptake and use of the filters by the local population.
The following areas/communities received Sawyer filters on behalf of Stop Hunger Now.
Within Kathmandu Valley and surrounding Kathmandu City, there are many communities and villages surrounding the city that are largely on their own in regards to recovery and rebuilding from the earthquake. Phutung and Sangla are areas very much in this scenario. Both areas are extremely poor, as well. In each of these territories, WTW distributed 50 filters (100 total). These filters were distributed for home use for larger families and also at community wells/water access points where larger groups of people could benefit where they drew water. In Phutung, approximately 800 residents benefited from the distribution, while approximately 1200 benefited in Sangla.
The below photos were taken in these areas. The top left shows some of the temporary shelters, top right is of a child at one of our distribution centers, bottom left is a photo of the destruction in Phutung, and lower right is a picture of a water access point prior to filter distribution.
In addition to focusing on areas of need directly around Kathmandu and the larger urban areas, WTW also tried to focus on extremely hard hit areas in extremely hard to reach territories in Nepal. There are many villages in the surrounding mountains that saw more than 95% destruction with regard to homes, buildings, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, these are common stories in Nepal. Thulohaku, Dolakha, and Nuwakot, are territories that WTW went to on behalf of Stop Hunger Now. In all of these areas, there was near total devastation. In order to service these areas, WTW enlisted local selfless volunteers who were willing to strap filters and supplies on their backs and ride their motorcycles across extremely difficult terrain for many hours to provide desperately needed relief. In Thulohaku, 101 filters were distributed for the benefit of approximately 1,800 people. In Dolakha, 16 filters were distributed for 280 people. And, in Chandani, 50 filters were distributed for more than 1,275 people. As in Kathmandu, filters were distributed to homes and community water access points. In addition, in these territories, filters were also provided to schools and local medical clinics to provide clean water to those in most need. In all territories, young children made up about 30% of the population.
In addition to the above filters and communities, 200 filters were provided to Father Jijo John at Salesian Mission Nepal on behalf of Stop Hunger Now. Total beneficiary data for these filters is not available.
Stop Hunger Now’s direct support of the Nepal relief program has provided an amazing and significant impact to those in need. Wine To Water is extremely grateful for this partnership and relationship.
