Responding to Earthquake-Affected Communities and Households in Nepal (REACH) Quarterly Program Report

Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), in response to the 2015 earthquakes in Nepal. The program focused on emergency response interventions in the sectors of Shelter and Settlements and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to help affected households and communities recover from the effects of the earthquakes. The program provided necessary temporary shelter materials to affected households through the distribution of kits with non-food relief items (NFRI), as well as a one-time $75 cash transfer to enable households to meet their individually prioritized needs. In addition to this, Mercy Corps and implementing partners provided materials and training to build latrines for vulnerable households and raise awareness about proper hygiene through the distribution of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials, combined with improved access to sanitation facilities where appropriate. During the reporting period, October 1, 2015 to November 5, 2015, Mercy Corps reached 17,500 people with NFRI kits and cash transfers, 4,767 people with access to a safe and sanitary latrine, and 9,978 people with a hygiene and sanitation promotional campaign. The program also provided unconditional cash transfers to 3,500 households, totaling $262,500, with $131,250 transferred to female-headed households and $131,250 transferred to male-headed households. The program's performance against indicators showed that 100% of the targeted households received emergency/transitional shelter assistance, with 50% of the recipients being female and 50% being male. The total USD amount and percentage of approved project budget for emergency/transitional shelter spent on goods and services produced in the affected host country economy was 100%, totaling $326,053. In the sector of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), the program reached 27,478 people, with 4,767 people directly benefiting from the sanitation infrastructure program and 9,978 people receiving direct hygiene promotion. The program also distributed hygiene kits to 3,500 households, with an additional 9,978 people reached through hygiene promotion activities. The REACH program was implemented in seven VDCs across Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha districts, with a total of 3,500 households targeted for assistance. The program's activities were completed before the third quarter, with all distributions and post-distribution monitoring activities completed by September 14, 2015. The program's findings and lessons learned will be discussed in the final report, which will also address the various implementation challenges and opportunities for future programming.