Canadian DART BHAKTAPUR Assessment.
Summary:
Numerous camps have been established throughout the districts varying in size
from a few dozen to 1500 people. The damage is extensive with approx. 10% of
buildings completely collapsed and 50-70% of buildings rendered unlivable. The
community response is extensive with food distribution and preparation points
established, volunteer security patrols at night, and manual labor based rubble
removal.
Medical:
No medical needs were identified or observed. Many have gotten sick from unclean
water but have been moved to medical facilities.
Recommendation – No requirement for medical support.
Food
Food supplies appear to be sufficient for the short term with local donating. Both
wet and dry food distribution points have been established and are distributing
twice daily. Personal food is being stored and prepared within the shelters. Cooking
fuel is predominantly wood from the rubble.
Recommendation – Cooking space be constructed and appropriate food storage
containers be provided.
Water:
Water is available in limited quantities with both wells and piped. The water is of
unknown cleanliness and is required to be boiled before consumption. No proper
water storage exists on camps, often pop bottles and buckets are all that is available.
Water sources can be up to a 1km walk from the camp and is being shuttled in via
scooter or truck.
Recommendation – PMed assessment of water supplies be conducted ASAP. Water
purification tablets be provided and recipients be instructed in their use. Both
household and collective water storage is required on site in order to allow access to
water for vulnerable populations unable to retrieve water.
Shelter:
Tarp based shelters are predominant with cardboard, brick and mattresses used for
floors. The shelters are often only top cover only or are three sided with limited
protection from rains or winds. The size of shelter and camps is massively short of
the SPHERE standards with 5-10 people in a 3.5m2 shelter, with no space between
shelters. Drainage ditches have been dug for water run off and should it rain many
camps will become washed out.
Recommendation – Additional shelter construction supplies be provided,
specifically large tarps (10’ X10’ min) as well as structure building material
(bamboo and rope). Shelter repair materials should also be provided (duct tape,
and patching material) Matting should also be provided for flooring as cardboard
will not survive rain. Drainage ditches need to be dug around shelters and proper
anchoring of the tarps. Camp managers need to be advised on camp layout.
Hygiene & Sanitation:
In all but one camp no hand wash stations have been established, with no
identifiable ablution points. Cooking takes place inside most shelters with only one
or two camps having a central cooking point. Very few latrines are available and
most are unisex. Those that are available require emptying at least once a day and
are of very poor quality. These latrines, if present, were often only partially
sheltered with no overhead cover.
Recommendation – Additional latrines need to be constructed, preferably with a
removable waste capacity with proper shelter, distance from cooking and shelters
as well as separation of genders.
Destruction:
The damage was extensive with roughly 10% of building completely collapsed and
50-70% of the remaining rendered inhabitable. Power lines are on the ground or
low hanging impeding access.
Recommendation – Demolition of partially destroyed building is required as well as
the removal of debris. Bracing of walls or buildings of questionable stability is also
required.
Access:
Road access is limited but possible. Many routes have been rendered impassible as a
result of rubble and low hanging wires. A thorough route reconnaissance is
required to identify in routes and vehicle limitations.
Recommendation – a thorough route recce be completed in order to establish in
and out routes as well as identify rubble removal tasks. Liaison is required to
identify an agency able to address the low hanging wires.
Security:
Most camps have no lighting at night but have some barrier limiting access. Locals
have established night patrols but have limited light and no uniforms. Armed Police
conduct roaming patrols intermittently. No reports of crime were passed on to us.
Recommendation – Lighting and uniforms should be provided (flashlight and hard
hat or vest) to volunteer security. Camp lighting should be provided and installed
with a power source, solar power being the most appropriate.
Recommended Courses of Actions
COA LIGHT: A CIMIC field team with a engineer section (half construction, half field
engineers) per 3 camps of 1500 pers or less, would be able to improve the shelters
and camp layouts through daytime patrols to the area for an immediate impact.
They would be able to dig and build improved latrines, shelters, and drainage, and
install lighting as well as advise and support limited rubble removal. This COA
would require the acquisition of shelter supplies, lighting, solar power or
generators, and water storage and receptacles.
COA HEAVY: As per COA LIGHT plus the addition of a heavy equipment det (MPEV)
to conduct rubble removal of routes and the demolition of buildings that are
irreparable.