NEED A SOURCE: Staff on the ground & disaster response experts available to speak on the humanitarian crisis following the earthquake in Nepal

Plan International expanding response to Nepal earthquake
Needs of children among immediate priorities for response

TORONTO, April 28, 2015 /CNW/ - With the death toll in Nepal soaring past 4,000 and many more injured and left homeless, Plan International is on the ground providing essential aid to earthquake survivors. Canadians are urged to donate and support life-saving relief efforts. With the federal government matching all donations, Canadians' contributions will go even further.

Since the earthquake hit on Saturday, Plan emergency teams have been responding to survivors' most critical needs. To help meet survivors' immediate need for emergency shelter, Plan has begun distributing tents, tarpaulins blankets and bed nets to protect children and families from biting insects. Additional emergency shelter supplies will be delivered in the coming days. Plan has also distributed education kits to children now out of school.

In the coming days and weeks, Plan teams will expand their response efforts to provide water and sanitation, trauma counselling, child protection, and education support.

One of Plan's key priorities is a focus on the safety and care of children, who face specific risks during emergencies.     

"Children are particularly vulnerable in natural disasters, and making sure that their core needs, including shelter, water, health care, and protection, are among our immediate priorities," said Plan International Nepal's Country Director Mattias Bryneson, from Nepal. "There is widespread destruction, collapsed buildings, schools severely damaged, and many roads are blocked due to landslides in rural areas. All over the region people are living outside with little or no shelter, children are crying, and health care facilities are overrun. The demand for humanitarian relief is massive, and we're focused on getting aid distributed in coordination with other agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the government as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Plan has an extensive presence in Nepal, with field offices in areas severely impacted by the earthquake, including Kathmandu, Makwanpur and Baglung. Plan has been working in Nepal since 1978 and our staff are using their experience and local knowledge to deliver aid to the worst-affected communities, including in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

Many members of staff from Plan International Nepal witnessed the earthquake and are available for media interviews by phone.

Available for interviews on the current humanitarian crisis following the earthquake in Nepal:

In Nepal:

• Mattias Bryneson, Country Director, Plan International Nepal
• Dr. Unni Krishnan, Head of Disaster Response and Preparedness, Plan International
• Mike Bruce, Asia Regional Communications Manager (Canadian)

In Canada:

• Rosemary McCarney, President and CEO, Plan Canada
• Dr. Tanjina Mirza, Vice-President, International Programs, Plan Canada

For more information on Plan's response to the earthquake in Nepal, please visit plancanada.ca

About Plan and the Because I am a Girl initiative
Founded in 1937, Plan is one of the world's oldest and largest international development agencies, working in partnership with millions of people around the world to end global poverty. Not for profit, independent and inclusive of all faiths and cultures, Plan has only one agenda: to improve the lives of children. Because I am a Girl is Plan's global initiative to end gender inequality, promote girls' rights and lift millions of girls – and everyone around them – out of poverty. Visit plancanada.ca and becauseiamagirl.ca for more information.

SOURCE Plan Canada

Dena Allen, Senior Media and Public Relations Manager, Plan Canada, T: 416.920.1654 x326, C: 416.723.6340, [email protected]