Humanitarian relief, reconstruction key to next stage of Nepal recovery: UN agencies

Various UN agencies on Tuesday appealed for humanitarian relief and reconstruction in the next stage of Nepal recovery after a major quake there claimed more than 7,300 lives so far, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that more than 7,300 people have died and more than 14,000 have been injured in the Nepal earthquake, citing government figures, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said at a daily briefing.

"While search-and-rescue teams are preparing to leave Nepal, the next phase of aid delivery to people in urgent need is scaling up," Dujarric said.

Since April 29, aid agencies have distributed 52,000 tarpaulins in 29 earthquake-affected districts, and more than 230,000 more are en route to Nepal. The distribution of more than 2,000 tons of food has also begun across 15 districts, said Dujarric.

Moreover, the UN Development Programme said that alongside humanitarian relief, reconstruction is needed to start in Nepal.

The UNDP will lead the early recovery work and start with rapid structural assessment of public buildings to identify which structures were safe and which ones needed repair and retrofitting, Dujarric said.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization said that temporary field hospitals have been established in five locations in Kathmandu and another five outside of the capital region, according to Dujarric.

On April 25, the powerful earthquake rocked Nepal, killing thousands of people so far and leaving some 3.5 million in need of food assistance. Endite