Nepal earthquake: Residents of affected areas struggle to rebuild lives

Residents of Nepal's Jajarkot district, the worst affected by Friday's deadly earthquake, on Sunday inspected the damages as they faced an uphill task to rebuild their homes and lives.

Nepal was jolted by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake just before midnight Friday that killed 157 people and injured over 250 others.

Thousands of villagers in north-western Nepal spent Saturday night outdoors in the bitter cold. Locals used whatever materials they could find, including plastic sheets and old clothes, to create makeshift shelters to keep themselves warm through the night.

"The house is in terrible condition. There are cracks. Everyone is sitting outside their houses. Four people of the same family died here. In another village, six members of the same family passed away," said Romit Kesi, a resident of the Raut village.

People recalled the horror of the night the earthquake struck the area. "The houses which were old and made in traditional style with mud have been damaged. While the others which were built from RCC are not damaged at all," another resident said.

As the relief and rescue work progresses, the focus has now shifted to rehabilitation of those who have lost their houses.

The people who had nowhere to go were doing household daily chores like cooking in an open area with whatever resources they had.

At the Matal Thable village in Jajarkot, a 200-year-old house turned into rubble.

Meanwhile, rescue and relief work picked up pace, with many social organisations engaging their volunteers in these efforts.

A volunteer at the relief camp in the Matal Thable village said that their focus was now on rehabilitation of the affected people and they were preparing to give relief to the people in cold temperatures.

While rescuers rushed to provide aid, their efforts were hindered by the fact that many of the mountainous villages could only be accessed on foot. The roads were blocked by landslides triggered by the quake.

"Youth, Nepal Army, APF team, all youth team- we are mobilised (in) earthquake-affected areas. The youth and the social workers are involved in helping people out of the homes that have been affected," a rescue worker said.

"The relief work is continuing. The people who have been rescued are being referred outside the district so that they can receive the necessary facilities. People have lost their houses. They are living their lives on the road."

The people in the earthquake-affected areas urgently require tents, blankets, and food items, and several non-governmental organisations have stepped in to provide relief to those affected.

"In a sad situation such as this, Radha Madhav Samiti- a religious organisation- we have come bearing relief from Tulsi Bimb. However, if we look from the Nepal Government's point of view, it will take a long time because everything has to be brought in and kept together. All the Nepali people are unable to receive food. They have nowhere to stay. They are spending a difficult time in the cold," a relief camp organiser said.

"We are providing relief to those who have been affected. Arrangements have been made and help is being provided to house people. Data is being collected and lists are being prepared. We have made arrangements for those affected in all the districts," the camp organiser said.