SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Around mid-day on April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal 50 miles north of the capital of Kathmandu. As reports of devastation made their way around the world, Give2Asia, a San Francisco-based social enterprise with philanthropic services for 25 Asian countries, launched the 2015 Nepal Earthquake Recovery Fund to support the long-term recovery needs of Nepalese communities.
"The situation is quite grim," reports George Varughese, Country Representative for The Asia Foundation in Nepal. "Even development partners, the government, and civil society are just digging out now."
Three days after the earthquake struck, the Nepalese government reported over 4,000 lives had been lost and 7,000 were injured, figures that have grown steadily as access is restored to affected rural areas. It is estimated by the United Nations that roughly 8 million in total people have been affected.
Give2Asia has been supporting local NGOs in Nepal since its inception in 2001. The 2015 Nepal Earthquake Recovery Fund will focus on supporting local NGO partners that are working with affected communities in the months and years of recovery ahead.
"Give2Asia has experience responding to over 40 disasters in the Asia-Pacific region," said Adam Eads, Director of Disaster Response at Give2Asia. "It's clear that supporting local NGOs is the most impactful and least wasteful method for assisting disaster-affected communities. The local knowledge and community trust of our partners is key to effective response and long-term recovery. Our focus will be on meeting needs that are overlooked by other international aid agencies, including livelihood recovery, psycho-social programs, disaster risk reduction and more."
As of noon on Monday, April 27, Give2Asia had secured recovery partnerships with multiple corporations and foundations for donations, employee giving, relief grants and more, and had raised over $65,000 through online crowd-funding.
Corporations, foundations and individuals interested in supporting local NGOs in the recovery process can learn more or contribute at give2asia.org/Nepal-earthquake. Give2Asia commits to report back to every donor on how these funds are spent and its recovery strategy in the months and years ahead.
About Give2Asia
Give2Asia makes international grant making safe, effective, and impactful. Since its founding in 2001 by The Asia Foundation, Give2Asia has raised over $250 million in gifts and donations from corporate, foundation, and individual donors for community partners in Asia. Give2Asia has demonstrated its effectiveness in serving the needs of international philanthropy with its on-the-ground presence, knowledge of diverse social and economic conditions, and the expert matching of donor interests with innovative and effective grantees.
Available for Interview:
Adam Eads
Director of Disaster Response
Give2Asia