Plan: Children remain vulnerable in post-quake Nepal

By Jessica Lomelin

Kathmandu, Nepal – Six months after the April earthquake that claimed 9,000 lives and impacted the lives of 8 million people, international child rights organisation Plan International says that the needs of children, especially girls, children with disabilities and marginalised youth, must take precedence as Nepal starts the long road to recovery.

“Children under 18 make up 44% of the population in Nepal. They are the future of this country, but continue to face challenges as they recover from the earthquakes. From the lack of safe schools to increased child protection concerns, like child marriage, child labour and exploitation, the issues that children face must be prioritised,” says Mattias Bryneson, Country Director for Plan International Nepal.

Since the April earthquake, Plan International has supported 255,120 individuals in Nepal, with 106,739 being children, through the provision of emergency shelter kits, food and water, sanitation facilities and immediate access to temporary learning centres and safe playing spaces for children

“While progress has been made to meet the immediate needs of families, this is still very much temporary: schools need to be rebuilt, people need to restore their livelihoods, families need earthquake-resistant homes and protection during the winter season,” says Bryneson.

Preparing for the winter

Children and their parents living in high altitude areas will reach freezing temperatures starting as early as November, peaking to -10 C and lasting for nearly six months. These are families who live in remote, mountainous parts of the country, often cut-off from humanitarian support.

Plan International is providing urgent shelter and household materials to 16,000 families living in high altitudes and will equip temporary learning centres with insulation materials so that children can continue to learn in a comfortable school environment during the winter season.

“Children tend to be more vulnerable in severe weather and are at risk of winter-related illnesses. Winter begins in mid-November; if we do not act fast, children may stop going to school if they are not able to withstand the freezing temperatures,” says Bryneson.

Plan International is appealing for an additional €20 million to meet the short and long-term education, protection and shelter needs of girls and boys and their families.

Protecting children

The protection needs of earthquake-affected children have evolved from immediate safety and psychosocial support to more complex child protection issues, like child marriage, trafficking, child labour and violence, which existed even before the earthquake.

“There are so many ills and misconceptions in our society; education is necessary to remove them. I will encourage parents to send their children to school. I will tell them that girls are equal to boys. I will tell them that girls can also be the future of this nation,” says Manju, a 13-year-old girl living in Dolakha district, an area devastated by the April earthquake.

“One of the best ways to protect girls in a disaster and to break the cycle of gender inequality is to keep them in schools. However, with 35,000 classrooms destroyed in the aftermath of the April earthquake, thousands of children are not able to study in a safe and permanent building. This is a massive loss to the country and the repercussions will be huge if we are not able to get this back on track as soon as possible,” says Bryneson.

In the last six months, Plan International has built 282 temporary learning centres, enabling 18,353 children to resume their education immediately after the April earthquake. Moving forward, Plan International will convert existing temporary learning centres and child friendly spaces into transitional classrooms to bridge the time it will take the government to construct the new schools.

Safe Schools

Plan International will also build ‘safe schools’ enabling thousands of children to resume their education in a safe and more inclusive environment. These schools will enhance enrolment and retention of girls and children with disabilities. For Plan International, a safe school does not just mean a safe structure – it means that students and teachers are trained and know what to do in the case of another disaster.

Plan International aims to provide 135,000 children with access to quality education and early childhood development.

“The process of rebuilding will take years, but Plan International is in it for the long-term. As communities affected by the earthquake embark on the long road to recovery, Plan International will continue to support children and families to build back a stronger, safer and more resilient society. As we transition into the recovery phase, the humanitarian community must not forget about Nepal. Children still need our support,” says Bryneson.

Support Plan International's vital work and donate to the Nepal earthquake appeal today.