Those of you who have travelled with us to Nepal will be deeply affected by the devastation and loss suffered by the earthquake and I am sure will want to offer your support.
How you can help
1. Sponsor walking leader Pete Hawkins
Veteran Spencer Scott walking leader, who has been to Nepal many times, is raising money for Nepal. He is running the Great North Run in September – a 13 mile half marathon and has decided to ask for sponsors. All his sponsorship money will go to Nepal. To sponsor him please contact him – pete@petehawkins.co.uk.or donate here now.
2. DEC, Disaster Emergency Committee
Member agencies and their partners are working urgently to provide emergency shelter, food, clean water and blankets. Once immediate, life-saving needs are met they will work with individuals, families and communities to support them to rebuild their lives.
You can help by making a donation now.
Nepal and Spencer Scott Travel
We have had a long and close partnership with Nepal and have sent hundreds of people to walk in the Kathmandu Valley and Himalayan foothills, trek to Basecamp and to enjoy its wildlife since the early 1980’s. Only last year we sent a small party to walk to the remote former Kingdom of Lo in Upper Mustang. Everyone who has travelled to Nepal is touched by the gentleness of its people, the beauty of its landscape and the richness of its culture. We are deeply saddened by the huge losses the earthquake has caused.
Over the years we have developed close friendships and strong bonds with our colleagues Bijay Amatya and PL. Within a few hours of the earthquake striking we were able to get messages back from Bijay and PL and thankfully they, their families and colleagues are unhurt.
The earthquake and its impact
On Saturday 25 April a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. It’s impact is felt by everyone in Nepal and further afield. The final fatalities will be in excess of the 5000 current estimate. Many more are homeless. Nepal’s major cities, including the capital Kathmandu, have been badly damaged and most of the rural areas near the epicentre remain completely cut off. Villages are cut off by landslides and that bad weather has hampered helicopter access. The ancient historical centres of Patan and Bhaktapur have lost many of their beautiful buildings and will never be the same again. The earthquake also triggered devastating avalanches in the Himalayas including on Mt Everest.
Nepal and surrounding areas have continued to experience aftershocks. leaving many too afraid to return to their homes. Water and food are in short supply and there are fears of outbreaks of disease. Many have also lost livestock. Electricity has not been restored. No one is working and earning money to feed their families. Everyone is focusing on surviving one day at a time. Tourism which was Nepal’s main source of income is gone for the foreseeable future. Airports and hotels have been destroyed.
One construction expert told Reuters that long-term reconstruction costs using proper building standards for an earthquake zone could be more than $5bn, or about 20% of the country’s GDP. Meanwhile, many people continue to suffer and the death toll continues to rise.
The Nepal government has pleaded for overseas aid, “We urge foreign countries to give us special relief materials and medical teams. We are really desperate for more foreign expertise to pull through this crisis,” said Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudel.
The true scale of the damage and loss will unveil over the coming weeks.