15 June 2015

April 2015: The month that shook Nepal

More than 8,700 people lost their lives on April 25, 2015, followed by 83 more victims on May 13.

Nepal is a country that has long grappled with the consequences of its seismic activity, yet had not recorded a natural disaster of such deadly proportions since 1934—an event that, in retrospect, seemed to foreshadow the possibility of such horror recurring.

The catastrophe was of such magnitude that it quickly earned its own Wikipedia page. Notably, the consequences extended far beyond the loss of life—affecting public health and social structures profoundly. According to the data, 454,769 people were displaced as a direct result of the earthquake.

Additional indirect challenges emerged, such as questions surrounding land ownership and property rights: with geography fundamentally altered, cadastral records became essentially obsolete.

Fortunately, the recent and exceptional force of Nepal's seismic activity stirred an outpouring of compassion for this nation, whose history has been perpetually turbulent.

Encouraging international support

The international community responded with relative swiftness, and both individual and collective measures were mobilized from all quarters to assist a nation buried beneath rubble.

Unsurprisingly, UNICEF, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, the World Food Programme (of the United Nations), UNESCO, and many others mobilized their resources.

However, a range of more targeted initiatives also emerged: the Smith Rafael Film Center in California, for instance, pledged to direct festival revenues toward Nepal's reconstruction.

Some even launched dedicated websites for the occasion, such as HeNN.

Beyond the conventional dispatch of food and supplies to aid survivors, the challenge also lay in providing access to critical information. This is where industry giants like Google stepped in to address the issue.

A battle only just beginning

The human toll was undeniably severe. Nepal's collective consciousness bore the weight, but the damage extended much further. Property disputes, unstable governance, and the compromised state of all infrastructure necessary for the nation to function properly—and to continue advancing economically, notably through its cultural heritage—were devastated once again.

The tourism industry, which represents a significant portion of Nepal's GDP, was hit hard by the disaster. UNESCO, working alongside Nepalese authorities, has embarked on restoring the nation's cultural heritage, yet opinions regarding the reopening of access to this heritage are already diverging.

Nevertheless, one thing is certain: given the centrality of tourism to Nepal's economy and the catastrophe the world witnessed, Nepal requires international aid now more than ever—aid that extends far beyond sporadic interventions.

Thus, what must be prioritized is sustained, long-term support, coupled with a recognition of admiration for a nation that rises again and again after each ordeal. This aid must be driven by individual commitment and responsibility.

Do not hesitate to contribute to Nepal's recovery through the Garuda association via our receptive partner Base Camp Trek, a member of our network of receptive partners.

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Charlène Nomadays

As an early SEO writer at Nomadays and now content manager and head of communications, Charlène has been passionately committed to the adventure since its inception. After seven years living across Asia—from China to Thailand, through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of life. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, engaged, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.