This blog comes to us from Mercy Corps, our microfinance partner in Nepal. WPF has funded $929,000 in Nepal since 2008, creating 12,038 microloans for entrepreneurs in the Sankhubashabha, Terhthum and Udaypur districts.
Photo: Kirk Jackson/Team Rubicon
The past few weeks have been devastating for hundreds of thousands of families. In the United States, Hurricane Harvey brought destructive winds and unprecedented flooding to Texas and Louisiana, affecting millions of people. Hurricane Irma ripped through the Caribbean and into the southeast United States, leaving catastrophic damage in its wake. And in Nepal, flooding from the heaviest monsoon rains seen in 15 years have destroyed tens of thousands of homes and impacted 1.7 million men, women and children.
Photo: Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is committed to empowering people around the world to survive through crisis, build better lives and transform their communities for good. With more storms on the horizon and months left in the hurricane season, we know that these seemingly isolated incidents are part of a much larger series of natural disasters that are increasing in frequency and scale. In the last two weeks, we have rushed our emergency responders to Texas to support local organizations responding in Houston, and also positioned our field team in Haiti to respond as extreme weather once again threatened families. In Nepal, in one of the most severely affected areas, we’ve distributed 200 bags of kits that include essential supplies such as tarps, blankets, utensils, solar lights, basic hygiene supplies, water purification tablets and water jars. And we are continuing our work responding to conflict-driven crises around the world from Syria to South Sudan.
Mercy Corps in Haiti. Photo: Ezra Millstein/Mercy Corps
Natural disasters can strike at any moment, and it’s critical that we be ready to respond. Mercy Corps’ Humanitarian Response Fund allows our teams to respond quickly to emergency situations – even before the news hits the headlines – when every single second matters, and countless lives are on the line. The actions we take in the first few days after a disaster can mean the difference between life and death for families in crisis, and our work is only possible because of our supporters. To support our emergency response efforts today, and to help us prepare and respond in the future, please consider making a gift to our Humanitarian Response Fund.
Mercy Corps helps people in devastated communities survive crisis, rebuild their homes and emerge stronger. We respond quickly to meet urgent needs and go beyond, identifying root causes and setting long-term recovery in motion, helping communities rebuild and better prepare for a sustainable future.