On the anniversary of the first Nepal quake on April 25 2015, FlyingTypers caught up with Gagan Mukhia, Country Manager of DHL Express Nepal.
     As reported by our correspondent a year ago, on the day the first 7.8 magnitude quake shattered the Himalayan country, most DHL staff were enjoying a team bonding picnic on a pleasant hill some 30 minutes outside the capital Kathmandu.
     They saw monuments and buildings in a nearby town collapse as the ground around them shook.
     Many panicked about the safety of their families. The terror was mirrored around Nepal.
     Even for those whose families escaped unscathed, some 90 aftershocks over the next few months added to the sense of insecurity.
     They also added to the damage. Almost 9,000 people were killed by the quakes, thousands more were injured, and almost a million houses were left partially or completed damaged.
     In the immediate aftermath, DHL’s Disaster Response Team—currently helping Ecuador deal with its own quake—were quickly on the scene. Aided by Gagan’s local contacts, they were able to vastly improve the handling operation airside at Tribhuvan Kathmandu International Airport.
     But a year on, what’s the situation like in Nepal?
     “Every citizen of Nepal is worried a major earthquake could happen again,” said Gagan by phone from Kathmandu. “Reconstruction is progressing and the monsoon season is coming in June.”
     The reconstruction effort has indeed moved slowly. Nepal’s government has not rebuilt a single permanent house or school since the earthquakes started a year ago, according to the Wall Street Journal. Indeed, the authority in charge of reconstruction only became a legal entity in December and did not distribute its first funds—some $4.1bn was donated by international agencies last June—until March 2016 as politicians instead battled over a new constitution.
     Fallout from of the constitutional dispute included the unofficial closure of the border with India, which saw fuel rations introduced across Nepal, inflation spike, and GDP growth grind to a halt. With limited fuel, NGOs were forced to close down or scale back relief operations.
     “People in the affected areas are still living outdoors and nothing to help them has reached them so far,” said Gagan. “We are hoping something will happen in the next few months.”
     Like most businesses in Nepal, DHL is still recovering. “We’re not back to the same momentum we had a year ago,” he explained. “There was no fuel or cooking gas coming to Kathmandu. We had some rationed fuel, improvised a car pool, and made deliveries by bicycle around Kathmandu or used what public transport there was still available.”
     The key truck link to Indian ports from land-locked Nepal is now open, fuel deliveries are arriving, and gas prices have fallen. The airport is also operating normally.
     But inflation of over 10 percent makes rebuilding businesses and lives difficult. Remittances are also down as Nepal’s army of overseas workers have been too short of funds to travel, or too afraid to leave their families. And key industries such as tourism and handicraft exports are in dire straits.
     DHL is continuing to focus its operations on Kathmandu, which accounts for 90 percent of its revenues in Nepal. Outside the capital, many roads have still not been rebuilt.
     “We’re hoping the government implements measures to improve the economy soon,” said Gagan.      “Many people are living outdoors. If the monsoon comes before they get help it will be very difficult.”
SkyKing

     After spending time in Nepal last year our reporter on the humanitarian disaster, Mike ‘Sky’ King—exasperated with the ineffectiveness of the relief efforts—started working with a brave teenager called Suman Khadka, who took it upon himself to help his devastated village.
     This became a charity called Suman’s Story – Direct Aid for Nepal. Last year the charity distributed emergency food packages, 70 tons of rice, tarpaulins, and water filters. 600 chickens were also bought to set up a chicken farm.

Families In Peril

     But Palchok and its 586 families are still in dire straits.
     They have received no assistance from either NGOs or the government.
     Almost all of the villagers are still living in temporary accommodation and many are suffering from basic poor health. The majority of the illnesses contracted by Palchok residents fall into the primary healthcare category such as skin infections and gastrointestinal ailments, ailments preventable if water access, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition are improved.

Doing The Most Good

     Mike and his team have now completed a needs assessment of Suman’s village and they are trying to raise USD $8,000 (https://www.gofundme.com/2m9exbmk) to set up and operate a drop-in health clinic complete with part-time nurse and receptionist.
     This limited expenditure will cover the cost of all medicines, educational materials, and the employment of staff over a two-year period.
     “Our needs assessment of the area shows this will vastly improve the lives of the 586 families in Palchok and the surrounding area who have received almost no help from the government or major NGOs since the village was devastated by a series of major earthquakes in 2015,” said Mike.
     “With any additional funds raised we will expand the scope of those we are helping to more villages.”

Can Somebody Help?

     “If we could get some sponsorship from a major airline, forwarder or integrator we could do so much more.”
     If you would like to help Suman and Nepal here please go here:
     You can also contact Mike directly about this on: mikeking121@gmail.com
     For more information please read regular updates here:
Geoffrey