November 17, 2022
Environmental Health Risks in the Philippines
Today’s powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake followed on the heels of the April 25, 7.8 magnitude quake, further damaging already weakened buildings, causing major landslides and cutting off lines of communication to remote areas of Nepal that had only recently been reopened.
Initial reports indicate another 70 people have been killed, with over 1,200 injured in today’s quake, which struck approximately 50 miles from Kathmandu in the remote Sindhupalchok District. MdM has been working in Sindhupalchok for almost a decade and it is one of the primary areas where we have focused our response to the April 25 quake.
According to Marius Musca, coordinator for MdM’s emergency response in Nepal, “This earthquake was very powerful and so were the aftershocks. [At times] it feels like we are on a boat; the ground is making waves. Newly injured people are coming to our clinic in Golche – an isolated area hours away by foot from the main road. Fortunately, our operations are still functioning and our team on the ground is safe.”
In this isolated area of Sindhupalchok, our 50-person team has been working tirelessly for over two weeks, treating those injured by the first quake. Today they faced a flood of newly injured people and increasing logistical problems as already-treacherous roads and paths became impassable.
In response to today’s earthquake, MdM has committed to sending more personnel and supplies to Sindhupalchok, Ramechhap and Kathmandu to provide additional emergency medical care and to help shore up the already badly damaged healthcare infrastructure. Roughly 90% of Nepal’s health facilities were destroyed on April 25.