“It’s urgent that we reach these remote areas outside Kathmandu where we’ve heard reports of extensive damage, but access is a huge challenge in these mountainous regions. Some villages have been completely flattened by the quake, and people are in desperate need of basic survival items,” said Lex Kassenberg, CARE Country Director in Nepal. “People have either lost their homes or are staying outside in fear of aftershocks. It can be cold and rainy in these areas, so temporary shelter is a vital need, especially for women and children.”

The emergency kits being distributed include tarps, mattresses and blankets for shelter. Hygiene kits will also be distributed that include some items specific for women like diapers for their babies and sanitary napkins, as well as, soap, toothbrushes and towels. Additional supplies of food, mattresses, water purifier, tarps and soap are also being distributed to 5000 people in Kathmandu later in the week.

CARE plans to reach 100,000 people with life-saving relief aid such as emergency shelter, clean water and food with a focus on the most vulnerable, such as women and girls, in the remote areas outside Kathmandu towards Pokara.

CARE has worked in Nepal since 1978, in areas including food Security, HIV/AIDS, health, education, water and sanitation, and the empowerment of women and girls. The organization responded to massive landslides in Nepal’s Sindhupalchowk district and floods in the mid-west of the country in August 2014, and works in 33 of 75 Nepal’s districts. CARE is familiar with the regions affected by the earthquake and implements projects in the western and central region.

Photo Credit: Reuters/Adnan Abidi