'Nepal needs urgent help' - UN Chief says

dimeji akinloye

May 16, 2015 4:22 AM

He said that over the past three weeks, the lives of eight million Nepalese have been changed beyond recognition.

Ban Ki-Moon

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has called for the urgent support for the people of Nepal.

He made the appeal in New York on Friday, May 15, during the General Assembly debate on Nepal.

He said the Flash Appeal launched on April 28 called for 423 million dollars to support the people of the country through immediate life-saving response phase.

The appeal, he said, is currently only 14 per cent funded at about 60 million dollars.

Ban said this includes 15 million dollars allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), noting that an additional 365 million dollars was urgently needed.

"Needless to say, the 14 per cent funding is far from sufficient.

"Let us resolve to do more and better; we are overwhelmed by an unprecedented number of humanitarian challenges around the world.

"Humanitarian partners urgently need funds to be able to do their work.’’

The UN scribe said that with the monsoon season starting in June, there is an urgent need to make sure that nearly half a million people receive emergency shelter before the rains start in earnest.

He added that heavy rain and hail are already affecting people living in tents, noting that the monsoon season is also a planting season "and if farmers are unable to prepare their land and plant their fields, next year’s harvest will be severely affected.’’

He said some areas in Nepal has lost almost all their water and sanitation facilities "and there is real danger that heavy rains could result in major epidemic.

"I cannot stress enough the importance of getting aid, including clean water and sanitation supplies, to everyone in need within the next few weeks.

"Even as we deal with these pressing needs, we must look ahead, from emergency assistance to support for recovery and development; emergency relief is never enough.

"Saving people’s lives is important but people must also be able to sustain their livelihoods; they want a future.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, leaving 8,000 people dead and more than double that number injured.

A second 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck again on May 12, claiming more lives and injuring others.

Ban then expressed his sincere condolences to everyone who lost beloved family members, friends and colleagues in the disasters which destroyed more than 400,000 homes and damaged another 280,000.

dimeji akinloye