Nepal earthquake is in news for few days now. It is one of the worst earthquakes Nepal has witnessed in the last 80 years. More than 5000 people are reported dead and millions affected. The number continues to grow with each passing day. Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has said that the death toll could well go above 10,000. That’s a very sad announcement to come from a country’s Prime Minister.
In response to this immediate humanitarian crisis, Khalsa Aid has initiated the Nepal Earthquake Relief Effort.
Another UK based humanitarian aid body, United Sikhs, has also sent a team of volunteers to Nepal. Aid material is being lifted by Khalsa Aid with the help of certain airlines to Kathmandu.
In India, SGPC and DSU have also come forward to offer 1000s of cooked food packets each day. Two teams of Sikh volunteers have been sent to open ‘Langars’ to feed about 20,000 people every day in quake-ravaged Nepal.
Each of these teams is capable of providing cooked meals for 10,000 people every day for a period of one month,” an official release issued after a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) headed by Cabinet Secretary Ajith Seth said.
A number of UK Sikh groups have united to send much needed relief aid to natural disaster struck Nepal. The teams of Sikh Relief, Midlands Langar Seva Society, Lions MMA, Khalsa Bikers, British Sikh Council, Khalsa Foundation, and Kaur’s corner have teamed up to send relief aid to Nepal.
A Malaysian-based Sikh coalition has forged a tie-up with Khalsa Aid, a UK-based relief outfit which is already present in Nepal, to channel aid to the earthquake victims. The Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisations (CMSO) yesterday launched its Nepal and North India Earthquake Relief Fund.
In Australia, Khalsa Education Society has taken the initative to support relief operations by Khalsa Aid and thereby raising funds for them.
Australian Sikh Support has also come forward and its volunteers have already landed in Nepal for earthquake relief work.