The situation there can already be categorised as stable in the parts where I.S.A.R. Germany was deployed in coordination with the United Nations.
The degree of destruction on the ground turned out to be less than initially feared by the responsible authorities and also reported to the international aid community directly on the day of the earthquake. As part of the international request for assistance, Nepal particularly requested support in the search and rescue of buried victims and medical care for the injured.
Due to the situation on site, the team had organised itself to be as mobile as possible right from the start of the operation. This allowed I.S.A.R. to penetrate as far inland as the epicentre. After thorough reconnaissance, the situation turned out to be more stable than previously assumed, meaning that the search and rescue component was now able to return to Germany. „The search for buried victims has been formally declared over by the Nepalese government,“ said I.S.A.R. President Dr Daniela Lesmeister. As there is a particularly urgent need for medical supplies, I.S.A.R. Germany has transported these to Nepal and is ensuring that the medicines reach the people who need them directly.
The I.S.A.R. Germany team had been working in the hospital in the city of Gorkha over the past few days to care for earthquake victims. In addition, search teams were active in the neighbouring towns and villages in their assigned locations. Specialists from I.S.A.R. were also deployed to the United Nations Operations Support Centre in Kathmandu (OSOCC). Mareike Illing from Kleve supported the OSOCC in coordinating the operations.
I.S.A.R. is also providing experts to support the United Nations Operation Centre in Kathmandu. Three construction consultants were assigned the task of checking the stability of public buildings in Kathmandu by the UN. „The wide range of tasks during the mission in Nepal shows that I.S.A.R. is well positioned. I.S.A.R. was involved in many areas, from localisation and patient care to operational management at UN level and the deployment of construction experts. We were thus able to make a contribution and help the people in Nepal,“ says Lesmeister.