Plan: Girls exposed in deadly mudslide

 

Grim Berglund/TT

 

Published 15.56

          

        Survivors are being taken by helicopter to a collection camp on the Trishuli River in Nepal on                    Sunday. Photo: Rajesh Kumar Singh /AP/TT

Rescue efforts are underway around the clock in disaster-stricken Nepal.

But for many, the future has been destroyed by the deadly mudslide.

“We are primarily focusing on children and girls who are often among the most vulnerable after a disaster,” says Unni Krishnan, the Plan International coordinator on site.

The sound of the moment speaks at the Trishuli River. Over the phone, helicopters can be heard landing and taking off, deafening, partially drowning out Krishnan’s voice.

“They spread hope – and fear. Hope that survivors are there, fear that the dead are being transported on board. That’s what I just understood,” he says.

The Plan organization's crisis coordinator arrived at the camp on Saturday, along with vehicle loads of emergency supplies. International organizations are coordinating efforts with local forces and the Nepalese government: coordination and efficiency are crucial in the near future.

Vulnerable groups

Krishnan, who is the global humanitarian director at Plan International based in the UK, highlights the organization's focus in Nepal: children under five, especially newborns who are at risk of health in the second wave of the disaster.

- And then girls, around 10-18 years old. Girls are vulnerable. I'm not talking about this disaster specifically, but experiences are clear. Girls are threatened by abuse, being exploited and exposed in crises and conflicts, says Krishnan.

- We must ensure that security is immediately created for them.

Plan is investing in rapid deliveries of hygiene items for girls and women, among other things. Equally important is to begin mental preparations to avoid trauma and psychological crises that often only come after three months and beyond.

– I usually compare it to a balloon that is inflated and deflated and then explodes. Children must feel safe, feel like children.

The telephone line is cut, communications are also vulnerable at the crisis center headquarters at Trishuli.

Wounds after earthquake

Reconnected, Krishnan says that Nepal has been devastated by the earthquake in 2015. Nearly 9,000 people died and 22,000 were injured, the destruction is still acutely felt by residents.

Disaster authorities were strengthened, but it is still uncertain how the efforts will work. China's role in affected Tibet is difficult to assess as few independent observers are allowed there.

Unni Krishnan notes that survivors can still be found in the mudslides, but that efforts to secure drinking water and basic infrastructure are now urgent – ​​as well as international aid.

– The tourist season is starting. So I hope that those who are planning to travel here or have been here will give their thoughts and support to Nepal. It is needed.