Oxfam continues to prepare Kathmandu for disasters
To prepare Kathmandu for disasters, Oxfam in Nepal has supported the government of Nepal in establishing emergency water facilities and stockpiling essential items in crucial places in the capital. On Wednesday April 25, Oxfam will be handing these over to relevant stakeholders in the presence of Home Minister Honourable Shakti Kumar Basnet.
The stock pile of emergency items related to Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) at Tribhuvan University (TU) in Kirtipur and at Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) in Khumaltar will be handed over to Lumanti- Support Group for Shelter and Environment and Public Health Organization (ENPHO). Emergency water facilities in Kirtipur, Khumaltar and Daikhu will be handed over respectively to TU, NARC and Kathmandu Upathaka Khanepani Limited (KUKL).
The facilities have saved countless lives during the April and May earthquakes. Oxfam in Nepal, using its prior experience of responding to the 2008 Koshi flood, dispatched stock piles from Khumaltar and Kirtipur to earthquake affected places to support survivors immediately after the earthquakes.
The emergency water facilities installed in Kirtipur and Khumaltar served displaced survivors with clean drinking water for at least four months after the disaster. The preparedness through these stockpiles and emergency water facilities proved to be successful in responding to disasters such as earthquakes.
Oxfam aims to strengthen vulnerable women and men coping powers to better deal with natural disasters and climate related shocks through its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) programme.
With funding support from UK Government (UKAid), Oxfam in Nepal has been implementing the Urban Risk Management Project in Kathmandu Valley since 2012. The project focuses on emergency WASH preparedness in two Open Spaces (Kirtipur in Kathmandu and Khumaltar in Lalitpur) with emergency stockpiles and emergency water facilities.
Background
Nepal is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world ranking 11th in earthquake vulnerability, 30th in flood and 4th in climate change impact causing deaths, injuries and displacement to hundreds of thousands of people.
Disasters have devastating costs – both inhuman and economic terms – and these costs are disproportionately borne by the poorest and most marginalized people.
Oxfam aims to strengthen vulnerable women and men coping powers to better deal with natural disasters and climate related shocks through its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) programme.
Through Disaster Preparedness and Capacity building and Climate Change Adaptation, integrating food security and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), supported with advocacy and influencing, Oxfam and its partners aim to build sustainable and resilient communities by 2020.
With funding support from UK Government (UKAid), Oxfam in Nepal has been implementing the Urban Risk Management Project in Kathmandu Valley since 2012. The project focuses on emergency WASH preparedness in two Open Spaces (Kirtipur in Kathmandu and Khumaltar in Lalitpur) with emergency stockpiles and emergency water facilities.
Oxfam in 2015/16 provided technical and financial assistance to the Nepal Government for developing a National Strategy for Resilient Urban Communities.