Since our inception following the Gujarat earthquake of 2001, AIF has been invested in relief and rehabilitation efforts in response to major national disasters in India, including rehabilitating communities in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands following the 2004 tsunami and in Kashmir following the 2005 earthquake. In 2013, AIF has also created the Uttarakhand Relief Fund to rebuild the foundation and heal the communities destroyed by the “Himalayan tsunami,” the worst natural disaster in India since the 2004 tsunami.
Continuing the multi-phased approach to disaster relief that begins with immediate aid, followed by reconstruction and long-term rehabilitation of communities, AIF raised funds for the Nepal earthquake and aftershocks in the year of 2015 that took the lives of nearly 9,000 people, a third of whom were children. Millions of Nepali people were displaced from their homes, including thousands from villages that were wiped away by quake-induced landslides. To identify long-term solutions and improve the lives of people affected by disaster, AIF works closely with NGO partners and fill gaps in the efforts of government agencies and large international organizations. Our due diligence identifies the highest-performing NGOs with whom to provide funds in order to ensure the most efficient and effective relief and rehabilitation work. AIF is pleased to announce its partnership with the US Fund for UNICEF—which works closely with UNICEF Nepal—for our Nepal relief effort on the ground. This partnership strengthens the spirit of commitment and responsiveness to providing long-term rehabilitation of communities in the unfortunate event of emergencies.
Building on its over 50-year presence in Nepal and a strong relationship with the government and people, UNICEF is well positioned to continue to support those in need over the long term. Nearly two years after Nepal’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake and devastating aftershocks, UNICEF continues to engage in recovery, reconstruction and disaster risk reduction efforts within the 14 most-earthquake affected districts in the country. Within its health and education programs, UNICEF has integrated recovery efforts that are focused on ensuring that schools and healthcare systems are addressing resilience. These efforts are crucial given the strong likelihood of another mega-earthquake and Nepal’s status as one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.
The Nepal Rehabilitation Fund will support UNICEF in building 74 fully equipped earthquake-resistant prefabricated health facilities in nine earthquake-affected districts, while strengthening the health sector through staff capacity-building and training to provide quality maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health services. UNICEF will continue to support immunization campaigns, the installation of disaster-resilient cold chain systems and the improvement of the supply chain of vaccines in districts.
AIF is grateful for its partnership with UNICEF—one of the world’s longest-running and trusted care providers across the world—with clear action plans to re-build the valuable lives of children and communities, providing them with the necessary care, support, and love as they work to rehabilitate their lives impacted by natural disaster.
