UNICEF/NCO – April 2015
EARTHQUAKE UPDATE
District:Okhaldhunga
Reported by: ERZO
Date: 02/05/2015
Information collection, if available only:
Situation:
Okhaldhunga district, a hilly district in eastern Nepal. The poor district witnessed severe tremors of the 25 April earthquake and sustains a heavy loss in properties- private and public both. So far, according to the Okhaldhunga DDRC, losses triggered by the quake have been reported in 29 VDCs out of 52and a municipality. 18 VDCs situated in north-western part of the district have been reported to be affected the worst.
A total of 18 persons have been killed due to the earthquake, of whom 5 were children. These deaths are in the north-western VDCs. The DDRC is trying to get information on the death of persons from the district but killed elsewhere in the quake. Chair of DDRC assumed that the toll might rise to 100 in total.
On 30 April, the Nepal government declared Okhaldhunga also one of the most earthquake affected districts due to the earthquake.
According to a report prepared by the DDRC on 01 May, 88persons reported their injuries at district headquarters level and 21 of them are still hospitalized at various hospitals and 4 severe injuries were referred to Dharan in Sunsari and Kathmandu for further treatment.
The DDRC convened a meeting on 25 April afternoon and initiated support to the affected population with whatever information they were able to gather. The DDRC till 30 April received and distributed 1180 sets of tarpaulinto the neediest families in the district. They also distributed 183 sets of blanketsto the needy families as well. No information available relating to the availability of other NFIs and food itemsreceived and distributed.
The DDRC has established an information desk so as to manage information relating to the earthquake with support from SDC. They however acutely lack proper information of the losses and support rendered to the affected population. They have not been able to gather information in systematic manner.
Chair of the Okaldhunga DDRC, Chief District Officer, admitted that they were not still able to reach many worst hit VDCs in the north-western belt of the district. On 01 May, they mobilized an army squad and a team of Nepal Red Cross Society and NGOs to the area. The DDRC is also mobilizing, through DDC, VDC secretaries and local police personnel, school teachers and health workers to collect information and initiate support at the local and community levels.
Background:
The ERZO team visited Okhaldhunga on 29 April and 01 May and briefly interacted with DDRC chair and other key members of the committee that included District Police head, army commander, District Education Officer, hospital officials, child rights officer, NRCS, WSSDO, acting Women Development Officer and SDC district coordinator in regards with the quake and situation aftermath.
Okhaldhunga is comparatively a poor hilly district. Literacy rate stands at 52.1% (women only at 40.09%). It has 360 community schools – 234 primary, 52 lower secondary and 75 secondary level. A total of 292 Early Childhood Development Centers also operate in the district. According to DEO, 1526 teachers are serving in the schools. Reportedly, about 25 schools have been fully damaged due to the earthquake. The DEO is convening a district level meeting of Resource Persons to assess the losses due to the quake.
A total of 4 hospitals and 54 health posts support the district population. DHO is reaching out to the health posts to have more accurate information at the soonest. As of 01 May, 5 Health Posts have been reported to be fully damaged and 12 partially damaged.
A small sized black-topped airport at the district headquarters (11 kms to reach the DDRC) is operative. A black topped road passes through the district from south-west to north-east.
Swiss Development Cooperation has a stronger presence in the district and they are supporting to the DDRC on managing information, more relief materials and coordination at local levels.
Total Population (district/VDC):184785 Male-90999 Female- 93786
Total Households: 32466
No. of Damaged Households:No exact infoFully:No exact infoPartially:No exact info
Displaced Population:
Approximately 50,000. No exact figure is available so far. It is an estimation made by multiplying the number of fully damaged households by 5, the average size of a Nepali household.
District Capacity:
There is a need of support to have more accurate information, temporary learning centers in fully damaged schools and support to IDPs. As the district has now been declared the mostly affected one, more support and resources from central level are anticipated. However, the district needs technical support to emergency management including cluster activation and mobilization.
Sector/Cluster / Need / Response as a cluster / UNICEF response / GapsWASH / According to WSSDO, repairing a water drinking water supply facility at Rampur VDC / None/no cluster activation. / None / Still unidentified
Health / Reconstruction of 5 HPs and repairing of 12 HPs
No capacity to treat severe injuries / No cluster activation. DDRC/DHO taking lead. / 500 sets of hygiene kit / Still unidentified
Education / 25 schools fully damaged (detail info awaited) / No cluster activation. DDRC taking lead. / None / Still unidentified
Nutrition / No info available / No cluster activation / None / Still unidentified
Child Protection / No info available / No cluster activation / None / Still unidentified
C4D / Proper info/message dissemination
Info management
Community mobilization with resilience message / - / None / -
Others