Support Nepal's remote mountain people to battle the deadly third wave of the COVID19 pandemic raging across the country
It has been difficult to watch from Australia as Nepal has been overtaken by a third wave of COVID-19. Reports from our staff and partner organisations on the ground are terrible. As workers have returned to Nepal from India and the Middle East, who are themselves facing a terrible crisis, they have brought with them the COVID virus which is now spreading throughout remote villages which had previously not been impacted by the virus.
Our team on the ground report that public hospitals in Kathmandu are no longer accepting new patients and India has stopped the supply of vaccines.
With your help HDFA can deliver emergency response support to remote mountain communities via our in-country staff and partner organisations. We appeal to all supporters of Nepal to donate funds immediately for purchase of further emergency medical supplies including COVID testing kits, PPE and oxygen concentrators.
HDFA has committed $13,000 to date to assist 11 health posts in the remote Indrawati and Kanchenjunga regions with oxygen concentrators, PPE, testing kits and medical supplies. These health posts service over 10,000 people. More funds are required to continue the battle and limit the impact of COVID to these remote mountain communities.
HDFA is a volunteer organisation with all funds going directly to Nepal.
Kathmandu, Nepal
Mingma Dandu Sherpa, our representative in the the eastern Kanchenjunga Region is currently in Taplejung (regional centre of Eastern Nepal) distributing medical supplies and has reported to us that all schools are closed, including the HDFA supported school in Ghunsa.
He was keen to share a message of hope and thanks with our supporters for their ongoing support of the people in the remote villages. The health training and equipment which HDFA has supported over the last seven years means that people in Ghunsa and other local villages are better prepared as Covid-19 has now reached their village, but more needs to be done.
The Indrawati Community Programs are located North of Kathmandu on the Tibet border. PHASE Nepal our local partner, has been working closely with the communities to ensure their preparedness for COVID-19. People in this area are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 owing to the large numbers of returnee workers from India, the Middle East and South East Asia. The health staff in the project area are continuing to provide essential services such as safe childbirth and accident and emergency treatment while also providing proactive education to locals.
As a result of COVID-19, our livelihood and education support in the Indrawati Community is on hold so we can focus on this difficult health crisis. We have been able to secure three oxygen concentrators so far and PPE, but more is needed.
We acknowledge and thank our staff and partner organisations efforts in this time of crisis.
All donations, large or small, will make a difference and allow the communities we work with to Reach Higher.
Thank you again for your ongoing assistance, it really does help.
All the best
Andrew Stace (Chair) and
Duncan Chessell (Volunteer CEO and Director)
