Getting Supplies to Darkha, Nepal

Darkha is only 12.5 miles from the quake epicenter. Every building suffered significant damage, and many collapsed entirely. Families are sheltering in fields with minimal protection from the weather. The monsoon rains will arrive in early June.

Colorado Nepal Alliance’s in-country coordinator, Gopal Tamang, arrived safely in Kathmandu on Thursday. “The people are crying everywhere,” reports Gopal. Sixty-eight deaths have been confirmed, although bodies are still being recovered. Many of the injured were carried by hand to Dhading Besi, a city that takes six to eight hours to reach under normal circumstances. The most critically injured were then transported to Kathmandu.

Devastation in Darkha, Nepal

Gopal reports that there has been no assistance from the government or any international NGO in his area. That’s where the Colorado Nepal Alliance can help.

“We are a very small nonprofit, but we have many ties to this community, which enable us to provide targeted, appropriate, and effective support to Darkha,” says Anne Hines, CNA’s executive director. “We are being assisted by Rajan Simkhada, owner of Earthbound Expeditions, an old friend of mine who grew up in Darkha. He is helping us locate tarps for immediate purchase.  If we can’t procure them from Nepal, we will be getting them from India,” said Hines. “Gopal will be transporting the supplies to Darkha in a few days.”