CCOUC contacted Nepalese students to offer support in response to the devastating earthquake

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, with its epicenter in Lamjung district, 77 km northwest of the capital, Kathmandu, has affected at least 11 districts in the country, including the capital Kathmandu with a high population density. The earthquake has caused death, destruction and suffering to thousands, and the international community has engaged in an intense disaster relief programme to mitigate the immediate damage and distress.

The Centre of Global Health (CGH) and the Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) sends our heartfelt sympathies to the people in Nepal. The Centre has contacted our Nepalese students to offer them support and assistance in both the short and longer term.

The quake has left thousands dead, many more injured and hundreds of thousands of people forced to live without shelter. It is a huge challenge for the government, and the civil society. Experience learnt from the Sikkim earthquake in Nepal in 2011 tells us that a coordinated response is direly needed. And while the international spotlight is currently focused in the much needed rescue and emergency response, humanitarian aid and assistance on recovery and reconstruction to rebuild sustainability is anticipated to last for far longer.

CCOUC is in contact with a number of organisations on the ground. In the short term we suggest offering support through the aid agencies active in relief. We will closely monitor the situation and are ready to mobilize support and capacity building in long-term public health response and resilience building in the affected communities.