Edinburgh Council are encouraging residents to provide support to Nepal after Saturday’s tragic earthquake.
The City of Edinburgh Council is a partner of the Edinburgh Disaster Response Committee which is asking residents to help survivors during the aftermath of the disaster. A fund has opened with the Edinburgh-based humanitarian organisation Mercy Corps for urgent donations.
To pause to reflect on the devastation, the Lord Provost will lead a candlelight vigil which will be open for all residents to attend. The candle lighting will take place at 4.00pm on Saturday 2 May 2015 at the City Chambers.
The Lord Provost Donald Wilson plans to lodge an emergency motion at Thursday’s meeting of the Full Council to call on support for the appeal. He said:
Edinburgh residents are known for their generosity of spirit and together we can make a difference to people in Nepal by providing urgent donations. Even a gesture of solidarity like the red lighting of St Andrew Square or a candle at Edinburgh’s vigil demonstrates support and raises awareness of the appeal. There is no time to lose.
Edinburgh based international charity Mercy Corps has been working in Nepal since 2006. The humanitarian organisation has launched an emergency response in Nepal following the massive earthquake and their dedicated team of more than 90 people has been working tirelessly to evaluate conditions and deliver emergency supplies to desperate families, whilst dealing with their own tragedies.
Simon O’Connnell, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps Europe, with their headquarters in Edinburgh, said:
Our thoughts are with the people of Nepal and all those in the region experiencing the effects of the quake. Our team has begun distributing urgently needed relief kits to people most affected and we are also working hard to get more supplies to reach the thousands in need.
On behalf of the Mercy Corps team, we thank the Edinburgh community for your generosity and compassion as we race to help the Nepalese people.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with about one-third of its citizens living below the poverty line. The country’s dramatic landscape makes it hard to reach remote villages even in the best circumstances. These next days are critical for ensuring the safety and well-being of survivors and Mercy Corps is reaching families left homeless who desperately need shelter, food and water.
