United Nations Responds to 6.4 Earthquake in Nepal on 3rd November

United Nations (UN) has sprung into action to take stock of the situation of the powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 that devastated the remote and rural regions of Rukum (West) and Jajarkot just before midnight on Friday, November 03, 2023. Families were asleep in their primarily mud-brick homes, resulting in many being trapped under the debris. Several aftershocks have been reported since.

Based on United Nations estimates in Nepal, around 1.3 million people may have been affected by this disaster. Approximately 250,000 individuals are in dire need of immediate humanitarian assistance, particularly those residing in isolated Himalayan villages. Moreover, dropping temperatures are expected to exacerbate these challenges.

Hanaa Singer-Hamdy, UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, informed UN News in an interview that the priorities include search and rescue operations, medical support, and trauma response, as well as evacuating affected individuals. Immediate necessities comprise warm shelters and clothing, healthcare services, and food supplies.

Alice Akunga, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative to Nepal, emphasized that children and their families face the most significant risks after losing their homes, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities. It is projected that thousands of school-aged children dwelling in the affected regions will suffer repercussions.

She stated in an announcement that "the full extent of the damage will unfold in the coming days and sadly the numbers of those affected are likely to grow." UNICEF teams are currently on site evaluating the situation and providing urgent assistance, including blankets and tarpaulins. Akunga further elaborated, "We are gauging the support they require at this crucial juncture in the areas of health, nutrition, education, water, sanitation and hygiene, child protection and social protection."

Additional UN agencies are also ramping up their relief efforts. The UN World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), and UN Satellite Centre (UNOSAT) have all mobilized teams. UNOSAT is specifically tasked with conducting remote damage assessments through satellite image analysis.

As reported by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), landslides incited by the earthquake have obstructed access to Jajarkot. Efforts are currently underway to clear the road. Most damage has been documented in Jajarkot and Rukum (West). The government has deployed army helicopters for search and rescue purposes while also dispatching additional medical staff to regional and field hospitals.

Some of the most pressing needs include medical aid, trauma response, rescuing people trapped beneath the wreckage, and evacuating those affected to safer locations. With winter fast approaching, there is an urgent demand for warm apparel and shelter, healthcare provisions, and sustenance.

This earthquake is the most significant event since the 7.3 magnitude quake in 2015 and marks another episode in a series of earthquakes that have struck western Nepal over the past year.

OCHA stated that "the impact of this latest earthquake is thus compounding the difficulties and vulnerabilities of communities still recovering from previous shocks in areas where low socio-economic indicators and stretched coping mechanisms were already prevalent."