Sir, – I write this letter from Nepal, where thousands of people perished in an instant.
What has struck me since arriving in Kathmandu is how the vast majority of areas devastated by the earthquake were the poorer districts of the city, where low-income workers lived in badly constructed buildings that could not withstand the shock.
It is a sad reality that the poorer you are the less chance you have of surviving an earthquake. That is why events of similar magnitude cause few fatalities in developed countries but result in thousands of lives being needlessly lost in poorer countries.
People in Ireland have responded to this crisis with their usual speed and compassion. The aid arriving into Nepal is vitally important and will give short-term relief. We must also take a long-term view, however. Local organisations, such as Trócaire’s partner Caritas Nepal, will be working on this response long after the cameras are gone to reduce people’s vulnerability to future earthquakes.
The legacy of this appalling disaster should be an international effort to ensure the people of Nepal do not have to sift through rubble for their loved ones again. – Yours, etc,
CONOR O’LOUGHLIN,
Trócaire Humanitarian
Co-ordinator, Kathmandu.