(UCAN): Wali Rana, a widow, and her four-member family huddle inside a makeshift tent to keep themselves warm in the night.
Rana and her children are exposed to the harsh winter season in the Himalayan nation of Nepal after their mud and stone house was destroyed in a Nov. 3 earthquake that claimed 154 lives.
Inside the blue tarpaulin tent, the 40-year-old Rana and her children cover themselves with blankets and clothes given by aid agencies. She is worried because the cold weather has already claimed the lives of 34 people, including four children, staying in makeshift shelters in remote Maide village in Jajarkot, the district worst-hit by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake..
She expects her new house to be completed in a few weeks with the help of Caritas Nepal, which aims to build temporary shelters for some 1,200 families, to protect the quake-affected poor harsh winter.
The winter season in Nepal starts in December and ends in February.
Situated at 3200 metres above sea level, Nepal has the distinction of having the second-highest average elevation in the world, behind Bhutan, and many mountainous areas experience extreme cold on most days.
As the night temperatures drop below zero degrees in Jajarkot district in western Nepal, Rana complains of her family’s inability to sleep.
“Cold air sweeps through the tent in the night,” she said.
By the second week of January, the authorities had built only 24,010 temporary houses. The government says funds are difficult to come by and construction workers are too expensive
Rana was rescued from the debris with a head injury and multiple fractures. She was in hospital for more than a week. Her three children and mother-in-law were among 360 injured people.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, nearly 80,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in the earthquake.
Rana’s husband, a migrant worker, died in Malaysia six years ago, which forced here to become a daily labourer to earn a living. “The earthquake left us homeless too,” she said.
Like her family, hundreds of families are living under the open sky, hoping for a roof over their heads. The government plans to provide a housing grant of 50,000 Nepali rupees [US$376]. But the plan is gathering dust.
By the second week of January, the authorities had built only 24,010 temporary houses. The government says funds are difficult to come by and construction workers are too expensive.
However, Caritas Nepal has stepped forward to build 1,200 temporary shelters under an Earthquake Response and Early Recovery Programme.
It has joined hands with a local NGO, Youth Awareness Raising Centre Nepal [YARCN], to undertake the construction of temporary shelters in earthquake-affected areas.
It has also chipped in to help the government with socio-technical support to build 1,000 shelter houses within a year.
Like her family, hundreds of families are living under the open sky, hoping for a roof over their heads. The government plans to provide a housing grant of 50,000 Nepali rupees [US$376]. But the plan is gathering dust
The new structures are resilient to earthquakes, fire, and flooding according to Janak Sharma, programme manager of Caritas Nepal in Karnali province, where the earthquake wreaked havoc.
“These shelters are also built on a low budget, using locally sourced materials such as wood, slate, stone, bamboo, lime and ash,” he said.
According to Dharma Raj Bhitrakoti of YARCN, a total of 71 temporary houses are ready to be handed over in the next ten days.
“We are planning to hand over all the 1,200 houses within six months,” Bhitrakoti added.
Rana is one of the beneficiaries waiting to move in. “I am eagerly waiting to shift to the new house,” she said.
The charity is also delivering winter support for the poor by providing them with clothes, blankets and solar lights, especially for young children and lactating mothers
Bahadur Rana, another beneficiary from the same village, has been working tirelessly to complete his new earthquake-resilient temporary shelter with the support of Caritas Nepal. Currently, the 45-year-old construction worker, along with his wife and two children live in a makeshift plastic tent.
“We are waiting for the sheets to arrive for the roofing, he said, adding, “I hope to move in early next week.”
The homes being built by Caritas Nepal have two rooms, one kitchen and a front porch, costing around 62,500 Nepali rupees [about $470].
The charity is also delivering winter support for the poor by providing them with clothes, blankets and solar lights, especially for young children and lactating mothers.
Sharma said that nearly, 1,500 families, including 2,600 children and 880 lactating mothers are benefitting from this package. The charity has selected the most vulnerable groups like Rana as priority beneficiaries, he added.
