OVER 3000 DEAD IN NEPAL QUAKE, STILL COUNTING'

NEW DELHI: Relief and rescue efforts intensify as the death toll following the 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Nepal climbs to over 3000, with another 6500 people injured. How much higher the toll rises will depend on the condition of vulnerable mountain communities that rescuers are working to reach.

Landslides and avalanches have hampered accessibility, with reports indicating that many communities perched on mountainsides are devastated and struggling to cope.

"There have been nearly 100 earthquakes and aftershocks, which is making rescue work difficult. Even the rescuers are scared and running because of them," said Kathmandu district chief administrator Ek Narayan Aryal to AP.

The United Nations said hospitals in the Kathmandu Valley were overcrowded and running out of emergency supplies and space. There have been reports of dwindling supplies of water and food, power outages, and downed communication networks. Hundreds of thousands of people spent the night sleeping in open areas, out of fear of more tremors. Heavy rain is now also reported which can further worsen the conditions.

Aid workers fear that the situation is perhaps worst still at the epicentre, believed to be near Lamjung, a district about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Kathmandu. Poor roads make access to Lamjung difficult, taking at least 6 hours to reach in normal circumstances. After the earthquake, access has been further compromised with landslides blocking off large parts of the road.

The UN has said that at least 940,000 children living in areas severely affected by the earthquake in Nepal are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The crisis leaves children particularly vulnerable - limited access to safe water and sanitation will put children at great risk from waterborne diseases, while some children may have become separated from their families, a statement by UNICEF reads.

The first to respond were Nepal’s neighbours, India, China and Pakistan. India moved large amounts of relief material, specialist teams of its National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and sent in its air force as part of a rescue mission titled “Operation Maitri' or friendship. Pakistani sent air force aircrafts carrying relief and rescue material, including a mobile hospital. China sent rescue teams and other material.

Meanwhile, the United States committed an initial $1m and has made plans to send a disaster response team, says USAID. The UK committed £5m in aid and an eight-strong humanitarian team. Norway pledged $3.9m (£2.5m) in humanitarian assistance with additional pledges coming in from Germany, Spain, France, Israel, the EU, New Zealand, Canada and others.

How you can help:

Uday Foundation is sending medicines and essential supplies to Nepal. Urgent

Relief Material

Dry Ration
Tents
Matches and Candles
Tarpaulins and thick plastic sheets
Blankets and Sleeping Bags
Feeding bottles
Baby Food
Sanitary napkins
Essential Medicine
Feeding bottles

Financial Assistance Details

For Online Transfers:

Bank name: HDFC Bank
Branch: Anand Niketan, New Delhi 110021
Account name: UDAY FOUNDATION FOR CDRBG TRUST
Type: Savings
A/c No. 03361450000251
IFSC Code HDFC0000336

Cheques can be made in favour of "UDAY FOUNDATION FOR CDRBG TRUST" and sent at following address:

Uday Foundation,
113A/1, (Near Govardhan Resturant), Adhchini, Sri Aurobindo Marg,
New Delhi 110017 Phone: 011-26561333/444

Since Uday Foundation is not registered with FCRA we cannot accept foreign donations, it accepts donations from Non-Resident Indians only through any bank account operational in India. Contributions made by a citizen of India living in another country, from his personal savings, through the normal banking channels, is not treated as foreign contribution.

Please share the details after you have made the donation to help@udayfoundationindia.org, along with your complete address and PAN card no, enabling us to send a 80G tax exemption receipt of the same.

Drop-off Location

Uday Foundation
113A, Sri Aurobindo Marg, New Delhi 110017
Phone : 011-26561333/444, Mobile : 9868125819
Email : info@udayfoundationindia.org

Other organisations that are raising donations for rescue and relief efforts in Nepal:

UNICEF:
http://www.supportunicef.org/site/c.dvKUI9OWInJ6H/b.7549291/k.BDF0/Home.htm

WFP:
https://give.wfp.org/5279/?step=country&lead—source=2015-wfp-nepal-emergency&form—tag=2015-wfp-nepal-emergency

ICRC:
http://familylinks.icrc.org/nepal-earthquake/en/Pages/Home.aspx

Save The Children:
https://secure.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6239401/k.C01C/Global_Action_Fund/apps/ka/sd/donor.asp?c=8rKLIXMGIpI4E&b=6239401&en=buKLL0NHJaIULaMKL9LRJ6PULuKYK4NQJpI0J7NNIhJUJ6MULyE

Oxfam:
https://secure2.oxfamamerica.org/page/content/nepal_earthquake/

Doctors Without Borders:
https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/onetime.cfm