KATHMANDU, JUN 04 - Political party Bibeksheel Nepali has provided more than 6,000 households in 17 earthquake-affected districts with relief material since the April 25 earthquake.
The party began relief distribution from Gorkha on April 27 and has covered more than 500 affected areas so far. Some 3,000 volunteers have been mobilised by the party for relief work. The party has created a separate unit, Bibeksheel Nepali Earthquake Response Task Force (BNERTF), to gather information, collect funds and coordinate relief, and to take care of rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
As per the latest data made available by the party, it has distributed more than 80 tonnes of rice, 60,000 packets of instant noodles, 40,000 packets of biscuits, 18,000 litres of water and 10,000 tents and built more than 5,000 shelters for quake victims. It has also distributed relief supplies in 120 places in the Kathmandu Valley. The party has been to Sindhupalchok 50 times and Kavrepalanchok 18 times to carry out relief operations.
In almost all the areas, the party’s volunteers were accompanied by a team of medical volunteers. A total of 335 people, including 50 doctors, were part of the medical team.
“We gather information through phone calls, emails and Facebook and report it to our district coordinators,” said Chairperson of BNERTF Simón Dhungana, explaining the party’s distribution mechanism. “The district coordinator in turn contacts the Local Development Officer and visits the site to assess the situation.”
Bibeksheel Nepali was established by youth leaders hoping to bring about “pragmatic reforms” to politics and governance in Nepal. Despite not winning a single seat in the Constituent Assembly elections, the party is quite popular among urban youth across the country.
During the party’s first relief mission it established help desks and provided emergency supplies to hospitals in Kathmandu within half an hour after the first major quake.
The party is now moving into rehabilitation and reconstruction operations. It has started a pilot project to study and rebuild damaged houses in Kavrepalanchok, and it also wants to set up counselling camps for children in the district.
Ekantipur
