Betsy Baldwin (Technical Advisor – Disaster Relief and Recovery for the The Salvation Army World Service Office) reports on the Salvation Army’s recent flights in the Nepal earthquake relief effort:

May 15, 2015 – Visit to Sambung, Sindhupulchok

The Salvation Army delivered food and solar lamps to Sambung in Sindhupulchok.

The Salvation Army made a second visit to Sambung to deliver aid. They have about 56 households and six people died in the earthquake. At the time of the second earthquake on 12 May, they were completing their mourning ritual from the first earthquake by having a community meal. The second earthquake caused a landslide on the road to their village, which they will have to wait now to clear until after the monsoon season concludes in three to four months. They also noticed a lot of cracks open up on the hillside terraces of their village. They have assembled many small structures using the material from the rubble of destroyed homes, as there were no homes that were not destroyed, and are sleeping in these small areas with just wood, mats and sometimes just leaves to lie on.

Suku B.K. stands in front of temporary shelters .

Suku is over 60 and has seven children; four of her sons have gone to work in the Gulf countries. When I asked what sort of work they are doing there or if they send money, she said she didn’t know and that she doesn’t hear from them often. She explained that her family took a 400,000-rupee loan (about $3,900) to build their family house a few years ago, but now their house has collapsed and she is not sure what she is going to do.

Their village school, covering class 1 through 4 for 50 or 60 children, has collapsed and they are very worried about their children’s future and don’t know what the government will do to rebuild. They also asked for food, tarps, clothes and solar lamps. The Salvation Army was able to deliver 11 bags of rice and 10 solar lamps via the MAF arranged helicopter that picked up the assessment team.

Photos courtesy of The Salvation Army World Service Office

Bring hope to the people of Nepal:
Donate to MAF:
www.maf.org/nepal

Donate to The Salvation Army:
donate.salvationarmyusa.org/sawso/nepal-earthquake-disaster-relief