Donate $$ to Nepal Hurrricane Disaster Relief

$$$ Appeal for Nepal’s Tragic Hurricane Disaster

By William Doyle-Marshall

“The general plight is terrible. The schools: many, many schools have gone; hospital facilities, medical centers; let alone peoples’ homes. So people are now having to pick up the pieces as to where do they go from here: how do they rebuild. It’s a country that’s devastated. We have a country of 27/28 million people and when you know eight million people have been affected by this; at least 70,000 have been destroyed. That’s pretty dramatic.” -- Nepal Consul General Christopher Considine

 During a post-hurricane interview in his office in Victoria, British Columbia, the Consul General appealed to Canadians to contribute financially to the country he has been representing over the past 18 years.

   Considine is encouraging everybody to give money instead of clothing and other items. Up to May 26, the Government of Canada promises to match contributions made by Canadians. There are challenges involved with getting stuff over toe Nepal, he said. “The cost to transport it is usually in excess of the actual help the item will represent. So while we appreciate that kindness, right now it’s money so that the aid agencies are able to apply the money to the medicine and the housing and the tarps, the clothing that is needed by the people in Nepal at the moment,” Considine said.

   At the time of the earth there were lots of foreign visitors, including lots of climbers on Mount Everest who were affected. All the climbers, including those who were injured, from base one upwards were evacuated. “In terms of the tourists who have been tracking and particularly the Lang Tang area where there was a considerable number, most were taken out,” the Consul General assured. Initially the rescue team found adverse weather conditions because the helicopters go in on visual flight rules that stipulates if they can’t see the ground, they can’t fly. “With the clouds and rain that’s there, it’s making it quite challenging. But so far I am happy to tell you that I’ve had no reports of serious injuries for Canadians and no fatalities for Canadians which so far is very heart warming,” the Consul General explained.

                                                                Christopher Considine

“The Nepalese Army and rescue authorities from around the world have been able to get the injured out and taken to medical facilities for treatment. The Canadians are being flown out on Canadian military transport or they are flying commercial airlines out to New Delhi and then back home to Canada.”

   He was aware that many Canadians had family members and friends in Nepal and had not heard from them and were worried. Considine advised that they should contact the Canadian agencies in Ottawa through Foreign Affairs. They can also contact the Red Cross so they will look out for them. In addition, quite a few people have been out of contact because the communications systems are down. Cellphone networks haven’t been working, roads are blocked and what’s happening is, as the army find them with the helicopter, they are able to get them out to places where they can communicate so I am hopeful that within the next several days everyone who has a loved one over there will be hear from them shortly,” Considine said.

  This is probably one of the most devastating earthquakes that has occurred in the last 100 years for a complete nation to be shaken by what’s taken place. “The tremours went from Katmandu  up to Tibet into the Everest region, over to the west and to the east even as far south as India. It’s been extraordinary,” the Consul General concluded. They are UNESCO World Heritage sites in Katmandu which are extraordinary places to see but they have been damaged. And Considine is hopeful the world community will be able to come together to rebuild them.