Kathmandu: The earthquake that shook Nepal has set the country’s economy and infrastructure by at least a decade. There are irreparable losses. Thousands of people have lost their lives, while most are struggling for their lives.
Many of those who have survived may have been disabled for the rest of their lives.
But the agony is not less for those who are survived. They have lost their families; their houses and their house hold items. What they need is food, cloths, medicines and other essential or life saving items. In order to survive would not be met with by sending money to the government.
It is highly appreciable that a large number of countries have come forward to help Nepal. It is the duty of the international community to be with the people of Nepal.
After all we are living in an age of world community. But what I strongly feel is that the money which is being donated by the donors to the government of Nepal will not help much to the people, the people who need immediate attention.
The government channels have their own ways of functioning, there on priorities not essentially matching with the needs of the people. Then above all the bureaucratic hurdles, red tapism and what not?
Therefore I strongly believe that all the assistance to Nepal at the moment should be in the form of essential and live saving goods, engineers, light machinery and building material, etc.
My appeal to the international donors would therefore be to take the poor people in the countryside, the people of Kathmandu valley and elsewhere in to consideration. They need immediate attention instead of the government.
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(The author is the co-founder of group ‘Give new houses not aid.)