It is one week since a devastating 7.8 earthquake hit outside the Kathmandu valley. At this time, there are more than 7000 confirmed deaths and more than 14,000 injured, and the numbers continue to rise. Last week Friends of Nepal sent out an appeal for help for the injured, and hundreds of people from around the world responded. In five days we raised more than $50,000 for emergency medical care. On Tuesday, we will transfer that money to Patan Hospital, which has been treating all comers for no charge since the quake. They have also been providing meals to dozens of people. Our donation won’t cover all that Patan Hospital has spent for the earthquake victims, but it will help.

We are still accepting donations for Nepal, but money received after May 1 will not be earmarked for the hospitals. Instead it will go into our general fund for earthquake recovery. Treating the injured is a necessary first step, but many people will leave the hospital with no home to go back to. It is time to plant, but stores of seeds are buried under rubble, tools are damaged, and workers are injured. Animals have been killed or lost. With their homes and means of livelihood destroyed, thousands of people will need long-term support before they can return to self-sufficiency.

Friends of Nepal has longstanding relationships with several local NGOs, and we are in the process of determining the most effective way to support the recovery effort. In the meantime, we are continuing to accept donations for the earthquake victims in Nepal at 

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