Following Saturday's massive 7.8 earthquake in Nepal, the death toll has
passed 4,000, a number that's expected to continue rising as collapsed buildings are cleared and reports come in from remote rural areas. What's more:
The tally does not include 18 people killed in an avalanche triggered by the earthquake that buried part of the base camp at Mount Everest, or the 61 people killed in India and 20 reported dead in Tibet.
Continued aftershocks are complicating rescue efforts and forcing survivors to sleep in the open rather than risking themselves in damaged buildings.
- Sending "our deepest condolences," Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that:
We are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support. Ambassador Bodde has issued a disaster declaration in order to immediately release an initial $1 million for humanitarian assistance. USAID is preparing to deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is activating an Urban Search and Rescue Team to accompany disaster experts and assist with assessments of the situation.
- The earthquake destroyed World Heritage sites in the area: See the shocking before-and-after images.
- Writing at the Globe and Mail, anthropologists Sara Schneiderman and Mark Turin emphasize the need for aid to rural areas:
Calls to our research partners in hill and mountain districts across the country revealed that villagers are reeling from injuries, death and the destruction of already precarious livelihoods on a massive scale. [...] While their plight may not make the international headlines, rural Nepalis across the country will need long-term support to rebuild their lives. The earthquake hit during a period of prolonged political instability after the end of a ten-year civil conflict that saw Nepal’s economy and society transformed. While Nepalis are regrettably used to self-reliance in the absence of elected officials, sleeping out in the open alongside their levelled homes, with food and water sources uncertain or compromised, and medical facilities pushed to breaking point, will challenge even the most resilient.
- At least 18 climbers were killed and more were injured in an avalanche on Mount Everest, where a rescue operation has trapped climbers being brought down the mountain two at a time in helicopters. This will likely increase calls for serious changes to be made to the Everest-climbing industry.
- Daily Kos member TexMex is organizing an effort to send ShelterBoxes to the earthquake victims. Check out her diary for instructions on how to contribute.