MAJOR EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL HAS CAUSED GREAT SUFFERING AND DESTRUCTION [1]

LA VIA CAMPESINA SOLIDARITY MESSAGE AND CALL FOR SUPPORT

(Thursday, 30 April 2015) - La Via Campesina wants to express its solidarity and support with the peasants and all people in Nepal after the terrible recent earthquake. Nepalese authorities estimate that almost 10.000 people may have died, and many more wounded. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy that has taken place as well as by the suffering of all the people that lost relatives, friends and their homes. We are especially aware that suffering is made worse in remote rural villages where the situation is critical. These areas cannot be reached by regular transport, making it difficult to organize support.

Beyond the enormous sadness of the beloved that did not survive this disaster, the people of Nepal face a huge task in re-building their houses and infrastructure over the coming months and years. The role of social organisations is crucial - they should play a key and leading role in this process.

La Via Campesina has set up a direct communication with its local member, the All Nepalese Peasants' Federation (ANPFa), who is now collecting the information, has set up an information desk, and is organizing the relief and support in the rural areas. We will give them all the support they need in this difficult task. It is crucial that social organisations like ANPFa receive all support they need in order to organise themselves and organize the support for the communities they work with. We will be in close contact over the coming days and try our best to respond to the needs for support that ANPFa will communicate to us.

If you or your organisation wish to support or express solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Nepal, you can write to ANPFa at anpfa@anpfa.org.np with copy to secretariatlvcsouthasia@gmail.com and viacampesina@viacampesina.org

CONTACT ANPFA Balram Banskota Deputy Secretary General All Nepal Peasants Federation (ANPFA) Madan Nagar- Balkhu Kathmandu-Nepal Email: balram@anpfa.org.np, anpfa@anpfa.org.np

CONTACT SOUTH ASIA REGION LA VIA CAMPESINA Yudhvir Singh yudhvir55@gmail.com Shanta Manavi shanta@anpfa.org.np Regional secretariat: secretariatlvcsouthasia@gmail.com

For information in French please write to annelies.schorpion@viacampesina.org For information in Spanish please write to boa.monjane@viacampesina.org