Dear Friends and Supporters
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Nepal as the extent of the earthquake unfolds. Many thanks to those of you who have contacted us with offers of help. As we know Nepal is a fragile country and there is urgent need for aid. The immediate need is to get water, shelter and food to those who need it most.
We urge those who are able to donate, to give as generously as you can to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Nepal Earthquake Appeal that is being launched today (http://www.dec.org.uk).
They are best placed to get the aid to those who need it most NOW.
We expect the death toll to rise dramatically as the aid teams start to reach the remote districts where many porters live. We know that no aid has yet reached the numerous remote villages, some of which have been completely destroyed and where many are injured. For current information on rural districts please see the CAN website where information from these areas is being collected (http://www.canepal.org.uk).
We are pleased to say Denise (PPUK Trustee) is now back in the UK, Ben Ayers (Founder of Porters Progress) is back Kathmandu, and we have been in contact with Tom (PPUK Trustee). All of IPPG’s doctors and staff are safe at Machermo although the porter shelter and rescue post at Gokyo has suffered significant damage and the roof has collapsed. Tragically the brother of Kancha Rai, the cook at Machermo, was one of those killed at Everest Base Camp. The advice for those in the mountains is to stay where they have water and food, rather than descending to Kathmandu. Our best wishes to the Medex team members who are in the Gurkha camp in Kathmandu.
The Porters of Nepal are a tough and proud people but in the longer term the need for your support to rebuild their shattered homes and lives will be vital, and will be needed for many years. We are in contact with our sister charities at CAN and IPPG to coordinate and organise specific fund raising in the UK in the coming months. Today we send our heartfelt good wishes to all those who are waiting for aid and the aid workers who are striving to deliver it.
Mary Morrell (PPUK Chair) and Nick Mason (IPPG Chair)