The first night without aftershocks. How good it was to sleep soundly at last.

This
morning, families in Kathmandu emerged drowsily from under their
tarpaulins, and heated water for tea on small burners or open fires.
Today, they will roll up their bedding and return to their homes,
grateful to be warm and dry after several damp nights in the open.

That
is, those who still have homes. I’ve just been talking with Jaya
Thapa, who runs an organisation that has been training Nepali churches
in disaster response for a number of years. He told me of whole villages
in south Lalitpur, northern Makwanpur and Sindhalpulchowk where very
few houses are still standing. People are cold, wet, shocked and hungry.
Some have lost family members, and there are many injured. Rescue
Network Nepal has already been on the scene, with more than forty
trained volunteers doing what they could in the immediate aftermath –
first aid, search and rescue, and emergency shelter. With support from
UMN, they will be providing relief packages – tents and plastic
sheeting, shovels, nutritious food and bottled drinking water for
households, and first aid kits and stretchers for communities.

Pastor Thapa said: “Pray for us! There is so much need, but we are doing what we can.”

Donations can be made to UMN via the UMN website (www.umn.org.np/page/give-earthquake). If you live in the UK, please give through the UMN Support Trust www.umnsupporttrust.org which allows us to access Gift Aid. Alternatively, give through one of our Supporting Partners in your country.