CERF provides $15 million to enable life-saving response to the earthquake in Nepal

(New York/London, 28 April 2015): On 25 April, an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 hit Nepal with strong aftershocks that continue to jolt the country. Thousands of people have been killed and injured, including in neighbouring countries.

In Nepal, it is estimated that more than 3,300 people have been killed and over 6,000 injured, with the numbers expected to rise as aid workers access remote areas closer to the epicentre of the earthquake. Eight million people in 39 districts have been affected, with two million in the 11 most severely affected districts.

In response to the devastation, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos has released US$15 million today through the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to enable humanitarian aid organizations to rapidly scale up operations and provide immediate assistance to people in desperate need.

“With the death toll rising and millions of people affected, it’s a race against time as humanitarian agencies work around the clock to reach people and communities,” said USG Amos. “This allocation from CERF means that critical life-saving work can be scaled up immediately.”

Recipient humanitarian agencies working with their partners will prioritise the most immediate needs, including logistics, shelter, water and health. More information on the grants will be available in the coming days.

This immediate funding would not be possible without the generous support of CERF’s donors.

While the $15 million funding injection from CERF will boost immediate assistance to people in need, additional resources are vital to support and sustain aid efforts in the coming months.