Students raise funds for devastating Nepal earthquake
April 26, 2015
To aid survivors and relief efforts after a 7.8 earthquake shook Nepal, ISU students are helping in any way they can.
The Nepal Student Association has set up a fundraising website to donate to the Red Cross.
“As we all have come to know that a catastrophe has struck our home,” said Joseph Shrestha, graduate student in civil, construction and environmental engineering on the Nepal Student Association’s Facebook page. “We hope that all the near ones are safe. Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected. The tragedy that the Nation is going through is unbearable and a little help from us might save lives of survivors.”
The Indian Students’ Association set up an area at their annual Holi event on Sunday to donate to the relief efforts.
More than 2,400 people have died and almost 6,000 are injured the day after the earthquake shook Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city.
Many residents of Kathmandu and surrounding cities were left looking for food, water and shelter after the earthquake and more than 10 aftershocks caused buildings to collapse and the streets to crowd.
The Nepali government encouraged residents to take up residents in certain parts of the city, setting up 16 relief stations across Kathmandu and the rest of the country, according to The New York Times.
The earthquake and aftershock’s effects caused buildings to sway in Bangladesh and Tibet, at least 34 died in Northern India and at least 17 climbers were killed from avalanches set off around Mount Everest.
A series of before and after photos from The New York Times of Nepali landmarks show a nine-story Dharahara Tower collapsed with debris surrounding the the 183-year-old structure.
The 325-year-old Maju Deval temple was completely demolished in Durbar Square.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Peter W. Bodde, the American ambassador to Nepal, issued a disaster declaration that would allow $1 million in humanitarian assistance to be available immediately.