EMAIL DETAILS

From: Marielyne JOSEPH
Sent: Sunday, April 26, 2015 5:57 PM
To: WFP PGG Staff HQ&ALL PG Offices
Cc: Rathi PALAKRISHNAN
Subject: NEPAL EARTHQUAKE - Info that may be shared with donors

Dear all,

While we are waiting for the first Nepal Earthquake External SitRep to be released early tomorrow, kindly find below information that may be shared with donors.

Regards,

Marie-Lyne Joseph | Donor Relations Officer (RBD - RBJ - UN Funds)
Government Partnerships Division | Partenership Governance
Tel. +390665132663 | Mob. +39.346.339.1322
United Nations World Food Programme
www.wfp.org<http://www.wfp.org/>

Highlights

* The Government of Nepal has now officially requested international humanitarian assistance for an immediate emergency response through a letter to the UN Resident Coordinator.
* The Regional Bureau in Bangkok (RBB) is shifting into full response. The Emergency Operation (EMOP) document is being drafted. Initial remote VAM assessment data will be used as a basis for this document. Two Special Operations are also being drafted on logistics augmentation; ETC; and UNHAS.
* Arrangements to fly in an initial tranche of High Energy Biscuits are being being made.
* All WFP staff are accounted for. The likelihood of some staff having lost relatives is high.
* Initial estimates require an advance of approx. USD 50 million. WFP is appealing for funding to meet the immediate needs.


Situational analysis

* The extent of the earthquake's impact continues to be assessed, and will only become certain once aerial and other assessments are complete. Access to Kathmandu appears to be less of an issue (compared to yesterday) now that Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's main international airport, is open. Urban Search and Rescue Teams have started arriving from various countries.
* As heavy congestion at the airport is anticipated in the coming days, WFP is already operating a staging area (at the airport), translating earlier preparedness work on this scenario into reality.
* WFP's VAM team in RBB is working on remote assessment data which will inform the EMOP. At this stage, the affected population are located in a mainly agricultural area which is also dependent on tourism. Harvests have just been completed, and this same population would have been preparing for the upcoming planting season (mainly maize and potatoes).

Access

* In view of the anticipated heavy congestion at the airport, WFP, in its role as Cluster-lead for Logistics, is working with the Government and the Humanitarian Coordination Team, on a prioritisation mechanism for incoming flights/delivery of relief items. (This has been rehearsed in advance during a extensive simulation exercise with the government, including airport authorities, a few months ago). Access within the Kathmandu Valley appears to be relatively open. The more remote and mountainous regions within the valley, however, are reported to be inaccessible -- at least by road -- with these locations having withstood heavy and extensive damage.
* The strategy for WFP's response as it stands is to use a mix of road transport (fleet) operators as well as air assets. The deployment of UNHAS to access remote locations will be required.
* To ease the traffic flow into Tribhuvan airport, other transport options are being considered, including utilising locations in India (eg. Calcutta and Birganj (India) into Kathmandu) for the delivery of relief items.?