Nine months have passed since the devastating earthquakes hit Nepal on 25 April and 12 May 2015, killing at least 8,790 people and destroying 498,852 houses across Nepal. It was one of the hardest challenges Nepal had faced in recent history, yet the situation was worsened by the heavy disruption in the supply and distribution of fuel, gas and consumables. In this backdrop, the International Organization for Migration, alongside the Government of Nepal, UN partners, the civil society and volunteer organizations has mobilized all its efforts to relieve the humanitarian needs of those affected by the earthquakes and the aftershocks.
These efforts have resulted in remarkable progress in restoring access and basic public services, yet the bulk of the work is still ahead of us. In the months to come, IOM will continue to address the remaining humanitarian needs of the affected population and will strive to mitigate the hardship of the most vulnerable households that may be suffering from an unequal access to assistance and relief, as well as from their inability to return to their places of origin because of safety reasons.
Complementing IOM's recently published Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction infographic, this Nine Months On publication details the progress we have made so far in response to the earthquake, as well as future plans to assist the many individuals who still need our help.