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HUBERT'S DESK

Earthquake in Nepal

1st June 2015 | Text: Hubert von Goisern

On 25th April the earth shook more violently than ever in the Himalayas and since then there have been more than one hundred aftershocks.

It's a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude. Across the whole country terraces, water pipelines, power lines, health care facilities, roads, bridges and schools have been destroyed ... Thousands of dead, tens of thousand injured, hundreds of thousands of houses completely destroyed. Eight million people – a third of the population! – have been affected.

I have known, admired and supported the work of EcoHimal for many years. The Association for Alps-Himalaya Cooperation, based in Salzburg and Kathmandu, has been operating in Nepal and Tibet for more than 20 years, building power stations, schools, hospitals and supporting local cooperatives in the remote mountain regions of the Himalayas.

Now the focus is on rebuilding entire villages.

The mountain farmers in Nepal live solely from the proceeds of their fields. For many the earthquake has taken from them what little they had. Now illness and famine threaten in epidemic proportions. Clean water and sanitation must be provided and schools and hospitals are in need of repair. And above all dry emergency sleeping areas must be created; the monsoon season is approaching.

It costs approximately 150 Euros to put a roof over a family's head. It costs 50 Euros to provide a family with seeds (rice, millet, maize) to ensure the next harvest.

Thank you for your attention. If you would like to help, you can do so with a donation to EcoHimal. Mark your donation with the reference Erdbeben Nepal and send to this account:

ÖKOHIMAL Gesellschaft Austria, 5020 Salzburg
Salzburger Sparkasse, IBAN: AT64 2040 4015 0015 3569, BIC: SBGSAT2S

 
Namaste and tashi delek.

Yours,

Hubert von Goisern

There's more information on the EcoHimal website – www.ecohimal.org

For every ticket sold for the concert at Kapitelplatz in Salzburg on 28th June, a Euro will go to Nepal.
And from the last concert of the season, in Hallstatt on 30th August, all the profits (proceeds less production costs) will be donated to EcoHimal.