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Together,
we can help Indigenous Communities
Thank
you to everyone who has helped us raise $6,130 for our
Indigenous partners in Nepal. Cultural
Survival has already begun distributing funds to Indigenous
communities in Nepal as they start to rebuild, but there is still
much more that needs to be done.
Less than three
weeks after thousands died in a massive earthquake, Nepal got hit again
by another powerful tremor.
This week's 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed at least
65 people in Nepal and 17 people in India, injured thousands, and
brought down buildings weakened by the first quake. The latest
developments only add to the devastation of a region struggling to
meet the basic needs of its residents.
The 7.6-magnitude earthquake on April 25 caused a death toll of over
10,000 people, with over 30,000 injured. Hundreds of thousands of
homes were destroyed. In addition to the lack of shelter, many areas
have no electricity or clean drinking water. The United Nations
estimates that the earthquakes have affected approximately 8 million
people, of whom 1.4 million have been directly affected. We are
especially concerned about the relief efforts reaching the Indigenous
Peoples of Nepal who make up
40 percent of the national population. Even though
they constitute a significant proportion of the population,
throughout the history of Nepal Indigenous Peoples have been
marginalized in terms of language, culture, and political and
economic opportunities and are likely to face marginalization in the
long term recovery efforts.
Our community
radio partner Dev Kumar Sunuwar reports that the second earthquake
caused heavy damage in his district and the adjoining
districts-Ramechhap, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga and Dolakha. He
writes, "In
Ramechhap, (where my house/village and radios are located in) no
single house left, all turned into rubble. My communities are
sheltering in the open sky. I personally lost not only homes, but 2
community radios-Radio Kairan 96.4 Mhz and Radio Likhu, the only
means of communication and information to the communities living in
the areas." The buildings of both radio
stations collapsed, and computers and other equipment were
destroyed. A transmitter was saved, but rebuilding the stations
will be an arduous process.
Dev produced a short documentary that describes how the earthquakes
have affected people in the Ramechhap districts. Locals report
that no government officials have come to survey the damage, and
relief packages have not reached the villages located far from
district headquarters. In the Ramechhap districts, 80% of homes were destroyed,
along with hospitals and schools. As strong aftershocks continue,
Nepalis brace themselves for more seismic activity in the weeks to
come. The rainy season begins in June, and monsoons could lead to
more landslides and floods.
Any
donation you can make will help our Nepali friends get back on their
feet a little sooner. Please help give Indigenous Peoples in Nepal
hope for a brighter future.
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