Biggest Challenge in Nepal are Logistics
Only small cargo planes have been able to land in Kathmandu airport, there is a lack of storage capacity and trucks.
On day five after the devastating earthquake in Nepal it is logistical problems that are presenting the biggest challenge in supplying the people in need. At Kathmandu airport, only aeroplanes with a total landing weight of 190 tonnes are permitted to land. “This means that, so far, only small cargo planes have been able to land. We know from other disasters how frustrating it is when the distribution of aid supplies takes such a long time. But it isn’t sufficient just to fly everything to Kathmandu, there is a lack of storage capacity and trucks to be able to reach remote regions”, explains Rüdiger Ehrler, Welthungerhilfe’s emergency response coordinator in Nepal.
Since Sunday evening, the first coordination meetings between aid organisations, the United Nations and the government have been taking place in Kathmandu, covering the areas of health, water supply, reconstruction and food security. The well-established cooperation between the aid organisations and the country’s government is the basis for coordinated aid.
“All participants are pulling together and know that every day counts and that many of those affected have not yet received any help. In a country with such access problems, supplying 1.4 million people with food is a logistical Herculean task”, says Ehrler.
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Keyword: Nothilfe Nepal
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Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organisations in Germany; politically independent and non-denominational. It is fighting for ‘Zero Hunger by 2030’. Since its establishment, more than 8,500 overseas projects in 70 countries have been supported with 3.27 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe works on the basic principle of help for self-help: from rapid disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organisations.
