KATHMANDU: As a response to the November 3 earthquake in the Karnali Province, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has released emergency funds to support humanitarian action on the ground.
The fund was released a few days ago to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). The assistance amount is equivalent to Rs 100 million.
IFRC General Secretary Jagan Chapagain announced this on a social networking site, expressing full solidarity with the people affected. "The IFRC is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready for any assistance that may be required," Chapagain said. He appealed to Red Cross volunteers to be there on the ground for the support of the survivors.
Reminding of the 2015 major earthquake that struck Nepal to its core, the IFRC General Secretary highlighted the need for more support to meet the urgent needs of the affected, and importantly for recovery and reconstruction.
Over 90 volunteers from the NRCS are presently in Jajarkot and Rukum West, the districts affected by the earthquake for the rescue and relief efforts, NRCS said.
An earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with its epicentre in Jajarkot at 11:47 pm on Friday resulted in significant casualties and property damage in the districts of the Karnali Province.
At least 157 people were confirmed dead and 345 were hurt in Jajrkot and Rukume West districts. As per the preliminary report, at least 12,006 families have been displaced, 38705 have been affected. A total of 9,483 houses were damaged while 19,286 houses were partly damaged.
The NRCS said it has to date distributed 700 mattresses, 1,500 tarpaulins, the same number of blankets and other necessary items in the disaster-affected areas.
