A Calgary aid worker is helping deliver emergency assistance in Nepal as international relief efforts ramp up following the devastating earthquake that struck the country last week.
Darren Tosh, a response manager with Samaritan’s Purse Canada, travelled to Nepal two days after the disaster to help coordinate aid deliveries to communities affected by the quake.
“We have to move quickly because these people have nothing. There’s absolutely nothing out there,” Tosh told Global News from Nepal.
Early Wednesday, a Samaritan’s Purse aircraft carrying 40 tonnes of relief supplies from southern Alberta arrived in Kathmandu, joining aid teams and military personnel from several countries responding to the crisis.
“The Korean government showed up, then Samaritan’s Purse and the 767, followed by the Australian Army. The Americans also showed up,” Tosh said.
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While aid is flowing into the capital, reaching the hardest-hit communities remains a challenge. Tosh said the areas most severely affected are about a four-hour drive from Kathmandu, while some remote villages remain inaccessible by road.
“We’ll end up helicoptering what we can into these other remote areas that don’t have road access,” he said. “Right now it looks like there’s about 3,000 households that still remain inaccessible.”
The disaster is also being felt deeply in Calgary, home to tens of thousands of people with ties to Nepal.
For members of the Nepalese Community Society of Calgary, the past week has been marked by uncertainty as they await news from relatives and friends in the disaster zone.
Ghanendra “Ray” Neupane said community members have been sharing updates and supporting one another as reports continue to emerge from Nepal.
“I have a very good friend of mine whose uncle and aunt are still missing,” Neupane said. “I was reaching out to him yesterday only asking if there was any update. He said there’s almost no hope.”
Despite the devastation, both aid workers and community leaders say Nepal has demonstrated resilience in the face of previous disasters, including the major earthquake that struck the country a decade ago.
“This is a country that has only just got on its feet after having the massive earthquake that shook the country 10 years ago,” Tosh said.
He added that relief teams are focused not only on providing supplies but also on supporting affected families.
“We want to bring hope to these families,” Tosh said.
Neupane said the Nepalese community remains confident the country will recover again.
“We are united together when we are in need, so we are resilient,” he said.
Canadians looking to support relief efforts can donate through organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and the Canadian Red Cross, or connect with local Nepalese community groups.