Jajarkot Is Rebuilding

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Karnali Province in western Nepal at approximately 11:47 p.m. local time (UTC 6:02 p.m.) on November 3, 2023, followed by several aftershocks. The epicenter was in Ramidanda, Jajarkot District, about 65 kilometers northeast of Surkhet, the capital city of Karnali Province. This earthquake is the strongest to hit Nepal since the 7.3 magnitude earthquake in 2015 and is the latest in a series of tremors to affect western Nepal over the past year. Districts including Jajarkot, Doti, Bajura, Bajhang, Darchula, Achham, and Dolpa have been repeatedly impacted since November 2022. These repeated shocks have compounded vulnerabilities in communities already grappling with low socio-economic indicators and limited coping mechanisms. In response, Volunteer Corps Nepal (VCN), driven by its "act first" strategy, swiftly provided initial relief, distributing essential food and non-food items to support affected households in meeting their immediate needs. To date, VCN has expanded its efforts to include rehabilitation projects, such as constructing Transitional Learning Centres (TLCs) in three schools. Currently, we are building a two-story, 12-room structure at Shree Bheri Triveni Secondary School in Rimna-1, Bheri, Jajarkot, which serves over 480 students. These resilient structures aim to empower Nepal's future generation by providing safe and sustainable spaces for education.