The earthquake of 25 April 2015 and numerous aftershocks caused widespread devastation in the Himalayan region. Almost 9,000 people died and more than 500,000 houses were destroyed. A total of 5.4 million Nepalis were directly affected by the earthquake. Ambassador Urs Herren and his team not only had to deal with the local logistical and coordination challenges, but they also had to coordinate emergency aid over an extensive area. A rapid response team from Switzerland arrived at the embassy shortly after the earthquake to organise its activities from there. The emergency aid phase was completed after a few weeks. Thanks to the long-standing presence and good networking of the SDC, reconstruction work could get started quickly. Switzerland earmarked a total of CHF 25 million for various reconstruction projects.
Ambassador Herren, one year after the earthquake, how are you and your team? Have you been able to resume a working routine that resembles the one you knew before?
After the earthquake we had to move out of the damaged chancery building. But three weeks later we were fully operational in our temporary premises. The experience and the new working situation with less working space has, however, further strengthened team spirit. Planning and launching the additional emergency aid actions and reconstruction work last year was a challenging task for us.
You were well prepared for a disaster of this kind with your contingency plan. Are there nevertheless things that you would like to improve?
The crisis confirmed that our contingency plan is sound. We have learnt lessons from crisis management and carried out further improvements, for example to ensure that our internet connection remains functional when the normal internet service is down.
Swiss Humanitarian Aid supported the embassy and partner organisations with secondments in the reconstruction process. How is this working exactly?
With the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit, Switzerland has an outstanding instrument for mobilising specialists rapidly. The effectiveness of Switzerland's aid was greatly enhanced by the rapid support of the embassy and major international organisations through the targeted deployment of experienced Swiss specialists. Currently, the secondment of a Swiss expert enables us to support, for example, the most important programme for the reconstruction of private houses, which is run by the government, the World Bank and other donors. In this way we can influence decision-making and ensure that disadvantaged groups, such as ethnic minorities, lower castes or single mothers, also benefit from the aid.
How did you proceed with planning Switzerland's reconstruction programme?
In the first months we were able to repair 240km of roads. We have also repaired two strategically important road bridges and some of the 90 damaged suspension bridges. By the end of the year, everything will be back in working order.
Among other things the SDC helps to train builders in techniques to make buildings more resistant to earthquakes. How many builders have been trained?
Thanks to the injection of a further CHF 2.5 million into the existing vocational education and training programme we have been able to train more than 3,000 young people in earthquake-resistant building techniques. The training groups learnt to build new and safer houses on the job. More than 150 houses have been built, which then also serve as models for earthquake-resistant buildings.
One programme involved distributing seed to farmers. How was the harvest?
Here too we have built up a long-standing partnership with local NGOs to provide farmers with seed if they lost their supply during the earthquake. We were again able to show that small but targeted measures, such as providing families with just CHF 25 worth of seed, can make a decisive contribution to enable them to make a fresh start.
How is the construction of the Dolakha temple progressing?
The destruction of important old temples and shrines was emotionally difficult for many Hindus and Buddhists. In view of their great symbolic value we decided to rebuild two important shrines in the Dolakha district. The plans are now complete to begin the careful reconstruction of the shrines in the coming weeks. Our work will comply with regulations on the protection of monuments and at the same time render them more resistant to earthquakes.
Coordination between national and international actors following disasters has at times proven to be difficult. How has it been in Nepal?
The development of a systematic and clear reconstruction policy and the coordination of all the actors concerned has been a major challenge also in Nepal. It has become clear in the meantime that the coordination of emergency aid is working well in comparison with previous disasters. Regarding reconstruction, however, setting up the «National Reconstruction Authority» unfortunately got delayed due to the political crisis surrounding the adoption of the new constitution. It has now become operational. Sufficiently well coordinated reconstruction programmes for private houses, schools and public buildings are beginning to produce results. Payment of the first instalment of the subsidy decided for the reconstruction of destroyed private houses, of some CHF 2,000 per house, is about to go ahead.
Following protests in Nepal, a blockade on the border changed the situation in the country between September 2015 and February 2016. Did the SDC feel the effects of the blockade?
There were massive supply problems in all areas of life. In particular, all SDC programme had to cope with a lack of fuel which meant that many activities had to be curtailed. The situation has normalised since the middle of March, however, and together with our partners we are trying to make up for the delays as well as we can.
What is your assessment of the situation today in the affected regions?
Life for the people in most of the affected areas is still difficult but not disastrous. Most of those affected have in the meantime been able to build temporary accommodation that is solid enough to withstand the monsoon season which begins in June. Farmers are adequately equipped for the next planting season. The school year, which has just begun, will be difficult for many children, however, as the provisional buildings of many schools will not enable a normal school routine.
