<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/deadly-earthquake-hits-w-nepal">Three months after the earthquake in western Nepal</a>, with late winter snow dusting &nbsp;surrounding peaks, survivors are grappling with the harsh reality of rebuilding their lives.&nbsp; Despite the still visible devastation all around, there is a strong community spirit that has helped the people of what were already Nepal’s most underserved districts get on with their lives.&nbsp; “I heard my mother screaming for help outside, and after some time, the people rescued me,” recalls 7-year-old Manju, who was trapped under the rubble of her mud home in Rawat Gaun.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020915028_c2a48ce30cae9ffc0977107ef516c41c4448cb08aa1ec5eb2568987cb928cbff.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024020915028_c2a48ce30cae9ffc0977107ef516c41c4448cb08aa1ec5eb2568987cb928cbff" data-rendition-name="original" width="756" height="512" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> </figure>  Although grateful that she survived, Manju is still traumatised and is haunted by all the relatives and friends who did not make it on the night of 3 November — including four children and their parents in a neighbouring house.&nbsp; Rawat Gaun still resembles a battlefield, the houses are flattened as if they were bombed. Damaged buildings stand amidst heaps of rubble that have not yet been cleared. Families spent winter in flimsy tents, tarp and tin sheets supported by tree trunks and rocks.&nbsp; The destruction here is worse than in the villages of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/jajarkot-survivors-show-collective-resilience">Barekot Rural Municipality</a>, the epicentre of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020915024_b1bd2b051951972802ae87ae296b39578f279764745c5a14122dbb64cba35292.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024020915024_b1bd2b051951972802ae87ae296b39578f279764745c5a14122dbb64cba35292" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1071" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> <figcaption>The sun has come out in Ramidanda village near the epicentre after last week's snowfall that revived the wheat crop after a long winter drought. </figcaption> </figure>  Even before the quake, there were mostly the elderly, women, and children here. The young men and adults had migrated to the cities or to India. Most of the dead and wounded were women, and half of the 153 killed were children buried under collapsed houses. “Without the children who survived, we would have felt even more bereaved,” says Bali BK, 60, whose son and daughter-in-law are working in the city. “Hearing their laughter and seeing them play gives us joy and hope." &nbsp; Nearby, Manju is playing in the dirt with her friends, Sashila and Sumnima, aged 7 and 9, as Bali looks on from the tent in which she has been living alone since the earthquake. The children sing a ditty they composed about the earthquake. This creases up Bali’s face as she smiles. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240209150212_3582ce435a202d5e280ce607dbaacc35e27750075681fb3222e214829291c673.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240209150212_3582ce435a202d5e280ce607dbaacc35e27750075681fb3222e214829291c673" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="844" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> <figcaption>Mani and Maya are all smiles, and remain close friends. The disaster has brought the community together.</figcaption> </figure>  “One positive outcome from this earthquake is that many people now know the names of our villages, and outsiders have come to help us with warm clothes, food, and medicine,” says Mani Damai, another elderly resident.&nbsp; That is not to say life is easy, hardships are compounded by the current cold wave, and the tents offer little protection from the rain and wind.&nbsp; Nights in the tents are especially difficult for the many pregnant women, and lactating mothers with newborn babies. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/below-zero-at-ground-zero">Below zero at ground zero</a>, Durga Rana Magar  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240209150212_4ae32e273e968bbb30d4d364bdebc897d28a43ba1cd3a60f3d1b4c5562ba4345.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240209150212_4ae32e273e968bbb30d4d364bdebc897d28a43ba1cd3a60f3d1b4c5562ba4345" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> <figcaption>Young mother Manisha with her baby and her new water tank donated by relief agencies.(Photo: NARESH NEWAR)nareshnewar</figcaption> </figure>  “The health of expecting mothers is a big concern,” says Surya Bhatta of One Heart Worldwide. “They urgently require suitable living conditions, &nbsp;healthcare and nourishment for their well-being.”&nbsp; The German Embassy has helped One Heart distribute tents, equipment, winterisation kits, blankets, and hygiene equipment for pregnant and lactating mothers, and babies.&nbsp; The earthquake dealt a severe blow to the already fragile and inadequate health system in Jajarkot with 40 health posts damaged, including birthing centers. Access to quality medical care was a concern even before the earthquake, now it is even more critical. “Talking to local residents, municipalities and officials, we have gained valuable insight into the challenges ahead,” says Sabrina Schmidt Koschella of the German Embassy in Kathmandu. “The scale of destruction underscores the urgent need for continued support from the international community for recovery and rebuilding.” Ramidanda Health Post chief Bishnu Raj Jyoti and his team managed to save many lives on 3 November and the next day. Nurses and the health team treated many injured people and those with other illnesses.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/poverty-killed-a-mother-not-the-quake">Poverty killed the mother, not the quake</a>, Marty Logan “There were a lot of injured and sick among the 400 families in this ward, and we managed to rush those with serious injuries to hospital in Surkhet by helicopter in the days that followed the disaster,” Jyoti recalls. The local government and security units as well as the Jajarkot District Administration Office played a pivotal role in disaster management. Despite losing his office, CDO Suresh Sunar continues to direct relief efforts from his prefab box to the survivors. &nbsp; “We had learnt a lot about disaster management from the 2015 earthquake, and knew that we had to help the thousands of homeless survivors,” Sunar says. Although the government’s one-window system for relief through the DAO got bad press initially for creating bottlenecks, it has now ensured better coordination between donors, agencies, the private sector and volunteers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240209150212_3c635ea2a6a25c325c73e1ba6dbc85b318c9ea87bd5c1d542f658a0296993db2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240209150212_3c635ea2a6a25c325c73e1ba6dbc85b318c9ea87bd5c1d542f658a0296993db2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> <figcaption>District administration staff in tents help local communities with lost documentation. (Photo: NARESH NEWAR)nareshnewar</figcaption> </figure>  The DAO's prefab 'office' is often crowded with people from all over the district applying for lost citizenship papers, National Identity Cards, travel permits, and other vital documentation.&nbsp; Despite the adversity, there are stories of hope. Maya was six months pregnant during the earthquake, and recalls the panic as she escaped through narrow stairs from the second floor of her house. Now in her ninth month, she hopes for a safe delivery at the Ramidanda health facility in Barekot. “I feel lucky that we are safe, but it has been a difficult three months in the cold,” Maya says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240209150216_b70a0e133d2507eb82a6106cf8d46f7c7e54ebc164a41cec8c95fc70b5c27d98.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240209150216_b70a0e133d2507eb82a6106cf8d46f7c7e54ebc164a41cec8c95fc70b5c27d98" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1080" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot"> <figcaption>The heavily damaged police station is still flying the flag as it awaits repairs.</figcaption> </figure>  The birthing centre where Maya will be delivering lacks equipment, the maternity room does not even have a proper delivery bed but the nurses are doing their best to provide safe motherhood.&nbsp; “The disaster is also an opportunity for visitors to see the reality of life here, and how hard it was even before the earthquake,” says Hem Bahadur Giri, Ward-1 Chair of Barekot. “But because of the earthquake, at least we have help to improve our health system.” Manisha is a young mother with three children and says she has never seen so many strangers in her village before. She is happy they are all there to help with warm clothes. “Life here was always difficult, we are far from the city and hardly anyone ever came here, but now there are all these people who have come to help,” she says. “We have blankets and drinking water tanks, which we never had before.”

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Rebirth and rebuilding in the ruins

Given the usual <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/jajarkot-survivors-show-collective-resilience" target="_blank">delay in disbursement of reconstruction grants</a>, survivors have taken to building their own temporary shelters with neighbours helping each other out. A total of 26,550 houses collapsed while over 62,000 homes across 13 districts were affected by the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/deadly-earthquake-hits-w-nepal" target="_blank">6.3 magnitude quake</a>. The Bara-Parsa tornado reconstruction which is one of the most successful post-disaster rebuilding in Nepal could be handy at this point in time. The project fulfilled its mandate of rebuilding 869 houses in 97 days and in doing so, helped protect survivors from future disasters. The houses constructed had <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/rebuilding-better-than-before" target="_blank">more features than government mandated</a>, they were eco-friendly and adapted to withstand the local climate, all at a cost less than previously estimated.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240108130148_ce6fda601715b3278ad8d81e1106bae8556985d40a6d2d8181e3ac3552ed861f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240108130148_ce6fda601715b3278ad8d81e1106bae8556985d40a6d2d8181e3ac3552ed861f" data-rendition-name="original" width="5825" height="3883" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot eathquake"> <figcaption>Jajarkot earthquake. Photo: DURGA RANA MAGAR</figcaption> </figure>  There are five main elements to why Bara-Parsa tornado reconstruction was such a success and how it can be replicated with the Jajarkot earthquake: Leadership Much of the credit goes to leadership by the Nepal Army 28th Brigade Commander who was in charge of the project. He was clear on his vision, tasks, and scope from day one. His motivation, dedication, and hard work also led to diligence in the work. He was responsible for the welfare, safety and security of the 3,000 troops involved, choosing the right person in the right place at the right time.&nbsp; Coordination and teamwork It was not only the Army that was involved in the reconstruction. The Madhes Province formed the Assisting and Directing Committee under the leadership of the First Secretary to give provincial supervision and leadership. The Parsa-Bara DDMCs under the chairmanship of CDO carried out district-level assistance and supervision, and at the municipal level, Re-Verification Committees were established to facilitate the reconstruction that was led by mayors. Whenever any hindrance occurred, such as in data verification, procurement procedures, acquiring public land, all these bodies came together, discussed and reached a quick decision. The provincial government, both the CDOs, and most importantly, the elected mayors played a vital role and the army remained as a pivot. The most difficult part was getting down to the actual figure for houses destroyed. The preliminery figure was 1,453 houses, but after the CDOs themselves went door-to-door they brought the real number down to 869.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240114120140_c97fb76a9679623771f6ac8f54e745e1589e2533db542bb370543d526514d9af.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240114120140_c97fb76a9679623771f6ac8f54e745e1589e2533db542bb370543d526514d9af" data-rendition-name="original" width="1125" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Bara Parsa tornado"> <figcaption>Survivors of Bara-Parsa tornado. Photo: KIRAN NEPAL</figcaption> </figure>  Prompt decision making The rebuilding process was never stalled due to indecisiveness at any level. The Reconstruction Committee as well as provincial, district, and local bodies facilitated the process. To be sure, not everything worked out. For example, it was planned to provide local communities employment opportunities through construction labour. But even then their daily wage rate was agreed to, it was much higher than what the government had set. So the committee immediately decided to marshal 3,000 plus troops for reconstruction.&nbsp; Likewise, throughout the process there was no interference from any external elements, neither were they entertained. And the whole process remained transparent to everyone. Planning and management Based on a detailed survey and employing experts, the reconstruction plan was flawless. Reconstruction was divided into 12 clusters, and to be carried out in &nbsp;three phases with human resources, material, and technical requirements calculated accordingly. At times, since the reconstruction of one-third of houses was occurring simultaneously, ensuring a smooth supply chain of material remained an issue. Even the contracted manufacturers, especially of compressed cement blocks, UPVC steel windows and doors, and three-layered non-burn thermo-cooling roofs, were not able to provide the designated material according to the agreed timetable. Collaboration with other manufacturers, switching working priorities, and even facilitating the manufacturers helped to meet targets. The designs of the houses were also modified and categorised as per the availability of the land since many of the survivors did not have enough space to build standard houses.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240114120144_03ef5358f4379edca8a9db3c561893a58729ac6ca8b289ae21841266ef116e38.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240114120144_03ef5358f4379edca8a9db3c561893a58729ac6ca8b289ae21841266ef116e38" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Bara Parsa tornado"> <figcaption>Houses destroyed in the 2019 Bara-Parsa tornado. Photo: KIRAN NEPAL</figcaption> </figure>  Legal assistance Likely legal hitches such as the construction material procurement system, and land acquisition process were taken into consideration from the beginning. The army leadership thoroughly discussed the issue with the government and got clearance and facilitation accordingly.&nbsp; This was crucial in unfastening legal knots. Provincial, district, and municipal bodies also helped the reconstruction committee on these occasions leading to the fast-track acquisition of public land, establishing construction bases, acquiring material, and so on. The Bara-Parsa Tornado reconstruction was not easy, it was hot and humid, at times there was heavy rain and floods. But an all-out effort from the state's mechanism, mutual trust, untainted intention, and will power of the engaged team made it possible.&nbsp; Many of these lessons, experiences, and courses of action can be useful in the Jajarkot reconstruction as well. But the most critical ingredient is political will to follow through. Shrijan Bahadur Malla is a DRR expert, a former Nepal Army officer, and involved in Bara-Parsa Reconstruction. You can reach him at <a href="mailto:shrijanmalla07@gmail.com" target="_blank">shrijanmalla07@gmail.com</a>&nbsp;

Building back better (and quicker)

Shanta Bahadur Budha takes a step out of his tarp. The sun is still not out yet, and his hands are quivering from the cold. Ever since his house in Barekot was destroyed by the 6.4 magnitude earthquake that struck at 11.23pm on the night of 3 November, he like many others has been living in a tent. Barekot is near the epicentre of the quake, and although there were no casualties the earthquake damaged nearly every house in the village. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/jajarkot-one-month-after-the-earthquake">Jajarkot: One month after the earthquake</a>, Ramu Kharel and Maggie Doyne  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231225131212_309c5b2236916946dc6a360e47c733f81fbbfcfdb45a0291cd780395aedf352c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231225131212_309c5b2236916946dc6a360e47c733f81fbbfcfdb45a0291cd780395aedf352c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1366" loading="lazy" alt="Below zero at Ground Zero NT"> </figure>  "That night it felt like the entire village would collapse,” Budha recalls. “After that, every night in the tent it has been getting colder and colder. It will soon start snowing, how will we survive?" Asked what is their main concern, everyone here says surviving the winter is the biggest challenge as the temperature drops below zero at night 2,400m in the mountains of western Nepal. From a distance, the houses clinging to the flanks of the picturesque rolling hills look fine. But on closer inspection, the impact of the earthquake is starkly visible — houses that have not collapsed all have cracks on walls or missing roofs.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231225131212_5c59d59444b7e7ac3ec631fdbc471a79d9c779bebe3c431f039e60bcf27411a4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20231225131212_5c59d59444b7e7ac3ec631fdbc471a79d9c779bebe3c431f039e60bcf27411a4" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Below zero at Ground Zero NT"> </figure>  Municipality data shows that most houses in the nine wards have been affected, and there are 5,586 applications for temporary housing. "All the houses are affected, no house is habitable," says Dinayat Gharti of the Municipality "Every family has been living in tents for two months now.”&nbsp; Barekot lies about 30km from the Jajarkot district capital of Khalanga, but construction of temporary housing has not even started. Because of the area’s remoteness, assistance has not reached the locals on time and the lack of workers has delayed construction.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/shaking-things-up">Shaking things up</a>, Editorial  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231225131212_3803f5921c6f432baf876a36b50e69f32eacd645b5f88490389fe80538de7f82.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231225131212_3803f5921c6f432baf876a36b50e69f32eacd645b5f88490389fe80538de7f82" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Below zero at Ground Zero NT"> </figure>  Slow disbursement of the first instalment of compensation from the government has also affected progress. According to Gharti, only 583 families have received the first instalment of Rs25,000, and 5,300 families are yet to receive even that.&nbsp; All this means that Barekot’s 22,000 people are forced to live in courtyards, fields and open spaces in freezing temperatures. The most common sound here is of children and the elderly coughing. Health care workers report that most children suffer from exposure-related diseases, while the elderly are experiencing respiratory problems and fever. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/demographics-of-disaster-in-nepal-quake">Demographics of disaster in Nepal quake</a>, Nepali Times  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231225131212_c05df258d1a366788cee06255d135f6d9e79a39a0be7151637da92f67c5c1cce.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20231225131212_c05df258d1a366788cee06255d135f6d9e79a39a0be7151637da92f67c5c1cce" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Below zero at Ground Zero NT"> </figure>  Charities organisations have distributed tarps and blankets which has made things a bit easier for the residents. Dhan Bahadur Budha, principal of the Himalaya Devi Basic School says problems are bound to get worse once the temperature starts dropping further. All 53 schools in Barekot Rural Municipality collapsed on 3 November, which is also a stark reminder of what would have happened if the earthquake had struck during school hours when classrooms would have been full.&nbsp; Schools would have been ideal shelters for survivors, but even those are in no condition to be used. Himalaya Devi Basic School has been conducting classes from under a tent since the earthquake.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/rebuilding-resilience-7-years-later">Rebuilding resilience 7 years later</a>, Anil Pokharel  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231225131212_22f51ad08da69a8376154578e42c6d046ade9e84b10cd2b9b5e7688ac65f62f0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20231225131212_22f51ad08da69a8376154578e42c6d046ade9e84b10cd2b9b5e7688ac65f62f0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1707" height="1058" loading="lazy" alt="Below zero at Ground Zero NT"> </figure>  "All school buildings have been damaged, it is impossible to run classes inside the building," laments Budha. Although classes have resumed, things are yet to go back to normal. &nbsp;Most students have not been able to attend school. "Initially students did not show up at all," says Budha, "then the teachers went house-to-house and parents started sending their kids back." But conducting classes regularly is a challenge. Classes are held in the open when the sun is out, otherwise, it is too cold.&nbsp; Now that most families have warm clothes, blankets and tents, the most urgent need is for the temporary shelter construction to be expedited. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">In a disastrous state</a>, Sonia Awale

Below zero at Ground Zero

A rapid assessment of the epicentre of the earthquake that hit just before midnight on 3 November shows that lack of accurate information about the status of survivors and their needs continues to be a challenge. Our trip to the hardest hit areas from Khalanga to Nalgad in this remote district in the mountains of western Nepal involved the rescue of a month-old infant whose mother was reported to have died from the cold.&nbsp; There has been inaccurate and sensationalised reporting in the media after people died from the cold. While it is true that winter has set in the mountains and the long term illnesses can be exacerbated by the cold, stress or unhygienic conditions, many of the deaths have been due to acute illnesses and existing preconditions. There have also been reports of relief items being stuck in bureaucratic bottlenecks and piling up in municipal offices instead of being distributed to those in need. While that may have happened in the early days of the earthquake, on this week’s trip that was not what we saw.&nbsp; In any natural disaster, it is important to recognise that the scenario for relief can rapidly change from day to day, thus making a rapid response and clear communication channels vitally important.&nbsp; We are concerned that inaccurate journalism based on hearsay without fact checking can foster an environment of cynicism and criticism, discouraging collaborative efforts. It can also affect the morale amongst first responders, spreading distrust.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231201131252_0b36cd97d9d54136ebbc601ca2170c1402ec22944d1f8c5d837ba1e3dfc8ef13.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231201131252_0b36cd97d9d54136ebbc601ca2170c1402ec22944d1f8c5d837ba1e3dfc8ef13" data-rendition-name="original" width="1368" height="1058" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot earthquake NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231201131252_9f96af647fb9e343ef22159c2191e7aaac8574f6cce70891237a91d24747fcc2.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231201131252_9f96af647fb9e343ef22159c2191e7aaac8574f6cce70891237a91d24747fcc2" data-rendition-name="original" width="748" height="1142" loading="lazy" alt="Jajarkot earthquake NT"> </figure>  Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/learning-from-jajarkot-what-we-didnt-after-2015-695vpzle">Learning from Jajarkot what we didn't after 2015</a>, Sushil Gyewali Relief must be survivor-centred and not be sensationalised or politicised with fake news. A centralised database that can foster collaboration is being put up with accurate and up to date information on the <a href="https://jajarkot.himalayandisaster.org/">Jajarkot Earthquake Response website</a>. Partners on the ground can also fact-check and debunk false reports, and we urge reporters to seek out these primary sources instead of relying on sensationalised clickbait. Rubble and destruction&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120112124_66e5ce77ae433644dabf10e3391e39021e92857248896af39bf19ad128e05e8b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2023120112124_66e5ce77ae433644dabf10e3391e39021e92857248896af39bf19ad128e05e8b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 Jajarkot after earthquake NT"> </figure>  As we approached the epicentre with three vehicles filled with jackets, sanitation kits, blankets, the destruction was shocking. Even in the relatively accessible areas like the district headquarter of Khalanga the houses are still in ruins. A month after the earthquake the rubble still has not been cleared. Things get worse the deeper we go into the mountains. On the way to Nalgad, there are rows upon rows of destroyed houses. Most people are living under tarp and bamboo tents, in one of them there were seven members of a family huddled inside. One man in Kalanga had broken his arm, and was sifting through the rubble of his home with his other hand. He was sheltering in a nearby school with many other neighbours.&nbsp; A school in Nalgad was still functioning, and students were attending classes in tents. Their school was damaged and there was fear of aftershocks.&nbsp; Multiple political groups and nonprofits are helping clear the rubble in places, but no active rebuilding has started yet.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/grief-stricken-survivors-are-cold-and-hungry">Grief-stricken survivors are cold and hungry</a>, Sagar Budathoki CGI-based temporary homes might be better than tents for this winter. But rapid, affordable, earthquake resistant and sustainable rebuilding must start as soon as possible using the experience and plans developed after the 2015 earthquake. Rural municipalities must be key partners in all rebuilding efforts. Relief organisations can divide up their efforts to avoid duplication. There are prototypes for <a href="https://www.dezeen.com/2015/07/11/prototype-bamboo-shelter-nepal-earthquake-victims-built-by-unskilledworkers-three-days/amp/">winterised temporary shelters</a> and <a href="https://habitatnepal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Bamboo-Temp-Shelter-Nepali-web.pdf">long term solutions</a> for reconstruction: Immediate Relief and Humanitarian Aid&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120112124_fa55e5f5c7e0c08e34679ea94f7eee9d393899fe41c45d32ca0d8b3b52d00ee6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="2023120112124_fa55e5f5c7e0c08e34679ea94f7eee9d393899fe41c45d32ca0d8b3b52d00ee6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 Jajarkot after earthquake NT"> </figure>  Nepal has a one-door policy currently to manage aid coming into disaster zones. Each district’s disaster relief committee is led by the Chief District Officer (CDO), who is in charge of relief items coming to the region. Jajarkot district has received tons of relief material, and local distribution was initially the bottleneck. There are still reports of items not getting to those that live in remote and roadless areas.&nbsp; We saw this week that the distribution management appeared to have improved. Items lying in municipality offices and district offices were in the process of being delivered. The municipal system makes it easy to coordinate with local ward chairs to find the areas of acute need.&nbsp; Our trucks had to be registered with the CDO with an itemised list and approved for further transport deeper into the district. The process seemed seamless. In Nalgad municipality, where few relief organisations are present, the mayor’s office and the Nepal Army have coordinated with NGOs to distribute blankets, clothes to more remote regions.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/earthquake-vacates-villages-in-nepal"> Earthquake vacates villages in Nepal</a>, Anita Bhetwal The municipalities are coordinating better, and working closely with relief aid partners. But there is still a need for logistics management and strategic distribution of relief material to difficult to reach villages. Special care must be given to villages at higher altitudes where it will soon start snowing. Relief organisations must respect the one-door policy, and not bypass this effort to coordinate relief and avoid waste and overlap. The Ward chairs have their feet on the ground and are the best source for exact need. They should be made partners in all aid distribution locally.&nbsp; Healthcare&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120112124_b094ac6d0dfcdc924f571e1308307ebaa4b6b1d2b7d5c0ebcfe290466cd3abf0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="2023120112124_b094ac6d0dfcdc924f571e1308307ebaa4b6b1d2b7d5c0ebcfe290466cd3abf0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 Jajarkot after earthquake NT"> </figure>  Jajarkot has a well-equipped district hospital, and each municipality has a &nbsp;health centre. There are smaller health posts in wards within the municipality. The nearest high level facility with ICU capacity is in Surkhet.&nbsp; Jajarkot district hospital had a large number of traumas during the first weeks after the earthquake. The hospital has five medical officers, and one MDGP (consultant) physician, and can provide basic emergency care, maternal and child care including caesarean section and vaginal delivery, and has a robust pharmacy. The hospital’s patient census was not impressive during our visit.&nbsp; The Nalgad municipality health centre was busy with only one medical officer available. Large tents from UNICEF had been erected outside for additional inpatient ward and emergency space. There seems to be a gap from the district to support the local municipality's needs.&nbsp; We came across many groups coming to Jajarkot to conduct health camps. Though increased engagement has benefits, it is not so useful to have camps near the health centres or the district hospital as there are already facilities there. &nbsp;Doctors told us that they had extreme excess of certain supplies and not enough of others.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">In a disastrous state</a>, Sonia Awale Groups organising health camps should focus on two areas: 1) bring specialist care that otherwise does not exist in this region, 2) reaching areas away from local health infrastructure. They must also coordinate with the district hospital and municipality health centre to assess their utility. Funds used for health camps could instead help strengthen local health facilities. The districts should divert some of their resources (doctors, nurses, etc) to some of these busy health centres in local municipalities like Nalgad. It does not make sense for one doctor to see a large number of patients in Nalgad, while the district hospital is not busy.&nbsp; Safeguarding Women and Children  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120112124_2e48aaab35412bd26e577239a96e036781290ce1391da4a9b5d90d44410d9a63.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="2023120112124_2e48aaab35412bd26e577239a96e036781290ce1391da4a9b5d90d44410d9a63" data-rendition-name="original" width="1800" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 Jajarkot after earthquake NT"> <figcaption>Ramu Kharel (left) and Maggie Doyne with locals in Jajarkot. The infant whose mother died was brought down and is recovering in ICU in Surkhet.</figcaption> </figure>  There are a large number of pregnant and postpartum women in the most affected areas in Nalgad, Rukum and Kuse. Recent news items have used false narratives to gain viewership, but there is a real need for access to appropriate ante-natal and postnatal care, which was an issue that existed before the earthquake in underserved areas of western Nepal. Jajarkot hospital, the municipal health centres are both equipped to care for most of these women. Various groups are providing warm clothes for the most vulnerable and prioritising these women for safe winterised shelters is a must.&nbsp; There are child protection units and National Child Rights Council (NCRC) offices at each municipal office. When a child, adolescent, pregnant or postpartum woman is in potential or imminent danger, it is critically important that officers be notified immediately.&nbsp; The NCRC works directly with government bodies, police, licensed shelters, and relief agencies to ensure that the woman or child is taken out of danger. NCRC and Kopila Valley are able to work together directly to safeguard the children in distress. The involvement of NCRC also prevents child smuggling and safeguards against family separation, exploitation, and human trafficking. The use of trained trauma informed social workers and child protection officers is critically important when discerning information and keeps the child’s rights and protection at the centre.&nbsp; Available health centres must be equipped with in-facility and outreach programs to identify and care for the most vulnerable in the region. This disaster could be used as an opportunity to equip and build a system around the municipal health centre and district hospitals to create innovative models like <a href="https://www.nyayahealthnepal.org/">Nyaya Health Nepal’s</a> community health care model in Achham, where community health workers are trained and equipped to provide care at home. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/rebuilding-resilience-7-years-later">Rebuilding resilience 7 years later</a>, Anil Pokharel When someone is really ill, taking the patient to Surkhet might be the only way but the road is long and hard. A streamlined approach to access government services like helicopter rescue must be available in this post-disaster setting.&nbsp; A robust ambulance and EMS service from either the municipal health centre and/or Jajarkot district hospital must be made.&nbsp; Water and Sanitation&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023120112124_186d4e99aa2c91f173de7e0e430b03a24c1099075fdbfeae8ead9b770cee9ca6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2023120112124_186d4e99aa2c91f173de7e0e430b03a24c1099075fdbfeae8ead9b770cee9ca6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 Jajarkot after earthquake NT"> </figure>  Even before the earthquake, Jajarkot and surrounding districts were hit by a cholera epidemic in 2009 that killed over 300 people, many of them children. Running water and sanitation has always been a major concern and this danger has been exacerbated with the earthquake aftermath in the dry season.&nbsp; None of the temporary tents and shelters we saw had appropriate water access and hand washing stations. Donor agency temporary toilets were dirty with no hand washing. Water and hygiene must be a priority for development groups going forward. Relief groups must put WASH in their priority.&nbsp; After meeting survivors, relief workers and local elected officials we saw a resilience and a determination to bounce back. The items we took to Nalgad are being strategically distributed in coordination with municipality offices to reach those in most need.&nbsp; We were able to locate the one-month-old infant in Nalgad municipality’s Ward 8. The infant is now getting safe ICU level care now in Surkhet, and is doing better.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/shaking-things-up">Shaking things up</a>, Editorial Resources for aid information and reporting can be found <a href="https://aidpulse.org/aidboard">here</a>. Important phone numbers:&nbsp; National Child Rights Council: 01-5550121&nbsp; Chief Minister Karnali: 985804444&nbsp; Chief District Officer Jajarkot: 9858047777&nbsp; Mayor Nalgad: 9842236335&nbsp; Mayor Kuse: 9858937755&nbsp; District Hospital Khalanga: 089-430188&nbsp; Ambulance: 102&nbsp; AIN (Federation for NGOs): 01-4468128&nbsp; Poison information center: 01-450-2011&nbsp; Suicide Hotline: 1166&nbsp; Police: 100 Ramu Kharel (ramu_kharel@brown.edu) is an emergency medicine physician with global health and public health expertise, and decade long experience in disaster response within Nepal. He is an assistant professor at Brown University, and is founder of <a href="http://www.hapsaglobe.org/">HAPSA Nepal</a>. Maggie Doyne is the co-founder of the <a href="https://blinknow.org/">BlinkNow Foundation</a> and, and has worked for 18 years in the Karnali region caring for at-risk children through community development efforts. She is a CNN Hero and author based in Surkhet.

Jajarkot: One month after the earthquake

Caste aside

Fenerbahçe Beko won the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finals in Abu Dhabi, held 23-25 May, defeating Monaco 81-70 in the final. Olympiacos, who defeated Panathinaikos 97-93, finished the series in third place. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final match, Nigel Hayes-Davis from Fenerbahçe Beko, received a prize of 1,000,000 Miles&amp;Smiles from Turkish Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur. The carrier has been the title sponsor of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, a top tier tournament, since 2010.

Turkish Basketball

Thousands of Nepali students dreaming of an American education have been forced to look elsewhere as the Trump administration’s visa restrictions make their future uncertain.
The US was long considered a top destination for higher studies, making Nepal the 10th biggest country of origin for international students in America.&nbsp;
However, that number has seen a significant decline with the total for Nepali students now at 16,482. Some 8,000 Nepali students obtained no-objection certificates to study in the US from the Ministry of Education in the past year.&nbsp;
India, Australia, Canada, South Korea, United Kingdom and Japan are the other popular destinations for Nepali students. There are no clear numbers for Nepalis going to India, but a slight decline was noted this year after the deaths of two female students.
The US State Department has issued a circular to its embassies not to issue new visas to applicants until further notice. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the directive stated that the department planned to expand the screening of applicants' social media.&nbsp;
While new applicants are barred including those applying for visitor visas, students with scheduled interviews are allowed to proceed.
“Many of our students are affected by the new restrictions, but those who had applied for student visas earlier have got interview dates,” one Kathmandu-based college counsellor told us.
Meanwhile, even foreign students with spotless records already in the US have not been spared, as visa scrutiny intensifies under the new policy. In a move that underscores the growing sense of insecurity, many US colleges advised international students to carry their passports and documents at all times, even when traveling locally.
“Me and my friends did not go home this summer because we were not sure we would be allowed back, so we just went to Niagara Falls,” said a Nepali undergrad in Ohio, who like many interviewed for this report did not want her name used for fear of repercussion.
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Nepali students have adopted a cautious stance, with many choosing not to return home during summer vacation due to fear of visa revocations as well as travel bans. Meanwhile, over 7,000 Nepalis with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will have to come back to Nepal by 5 August or face deportation. Thirty-seven were flown back to Kathmandu on Omni Air last week.
“The US is one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education, and the ban will definitely impact bright students,” says Narottam Aryal of the King’s College in Kathmandu.
Indeed, Nepali undergraduates admitted into Ivy League colleges for the 2025 academic year have been asked to look for alternatives. The entire Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board resigned on Wednesday citing interference from the Trump administration on the selection of this year’s cohort. Some Nepali students already on Fulbright scholarships have noted disruptions, delays and even cancellation of stipends.&nbsp;
The student visa restrictions were initially just for foreign students admitted to Harvard University, but it was later extended to all Chinese students and now to all students. Universities like Columbia which actively recruit foreign students, face sharp enrolment declines, threatening their financial stability and diversity.
An Indian female PhD candidate at Columbia University had her visa revoked by the US State Department, and said she was targeted on the basis of her social media posts on Israeli military attacks in Gaza. Social media vetting of political activism has raised concerns about privacy and freedom of expression in a country where such rights were a given.
Many students have been informed via email that their visas have been revoked for getting speeding or parking tickets, but even others with no criminal record have been affected. The fear of deportation looms large amongst international students, including those from Nepal.&nbsp;
For most Nepalis who migrate to the US for education, the journey is a high-stakes investment. They come largely from middle-class families, often rely on a patchwork of scholarships, work-study programs, loans, or even the sale of family assets to afford fees.
Most Nepali students pursue STEM subjects which offer extended Optional Practical Training (OPT) periods that help fund their education. But with the US backsliding on education and humanitarian matters, countries like the UK and Canada are becoming more attractive despite their own recent stricter controls on student visas.&nbsp;
The UK universities saw a 63% rise in Nepali students’ admissions in 2024. Japan is another popular destination with 64,816 Nepali students enrolled as of 2024.
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Already, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia are poised to benefit from the increased scrutiny of US student visas. Several Hong Kong universities are offering unconditional admission to affected students, while Malaysian institutions are targeting previously US-bound Asian students. China and India have 330,000 and 280,000 students respectively in America, but the numbers for China have seen a sharp drop in the past year.
Elsewhere, branch campuses of American institutions such as NYU in Abu Dhabi, Georgetown in Dubai and Northwestern in Doha are getting more admission applications, and universities in the Gulf region are expanding infrastructure to accommodate those who would otherwise have gone to the US.&nbsp;
Even educational institutions in Nepal are hopeful that the US visa restrictions can be an opportunity to at least keep Nepali undergrads in Nepal, and also attract foreign students from the region.&nbsp;
“Many students might choose to complete their undergraduate degree here in Nepal and then move abroad for their Master’s degree later,” says Aryal of King’s College. “There was a need for quality higher education in Nepal anyway in terms of innovation and opportunities, so this could be the time to reduce our dependence on other countries.”
Nepal’s strategic position between India and China makes it sensitive to US policy shifts. India, a key ally, is also under US scrutiny for potential student travel restrictions. Chinese universities are already offering more scholarships to Nepali talent to capitalise on the US retreat.
American universities have challenged student visa restrictions in the courts. A federal court in Boston revoked the blanket ban on Harvard, and the State Department has ordered the resumption of processing student and exchange visitor visas.&nbsp;
Some are still hoping that President Trump will backtrack on the student visa restrictions, just like he has done with many of his more drastic executive orders.
Even so, the visa see-saw and longer-term uncertainties about living in the United States and its education system means students across the world are making alternative plans.
Says Aryal: “Policies of foreign countries change according to their needs, so excessive dependence was never a good idea. We should work to create different opportunities and choices of higher education within Nepal, so students are retained.” &nbsp;

America no longer prime destination for Nepali students

While Nepal was hosting the Sagarmatha Sambaad international climate conference in Kathmandu this month, on Mt Everest it was pretty much business as usual.&nbsp; The signs of climate breakdown are all there: a river now runs through Base Camp in summer, the Khumbu Icefall is more unstable, and there are more &nbsp;frequent avalanches. When expeditions arrived in March, the mountains were bare: it had not snowed since September, but then blizzards dumped unseasonal snow in May. And despite climate worries, such is the pull of Himalayan mountaineering that the Everest Industry showed no signs of slowdown. More than 600 international climbers and their Nepali guides had made it to the summit of the world’s highest mountain. At one point there were an estimated 2,000 people in the tent city on the Khumbu Glacier. All the ropes and ladders on the Icefall came down on Thursday, marking the official end of the spring climbing season, and just in time to avoid a monsoon cyclone approaching from the Bay of Bengal. It has been an action-packed season. One factor could be that Everest fees will go up from September: each foreign climber needs to pay a $15,000 royalty, up from the present $11,000. The cost for a Nepali climber on the South Col route will also go up: from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000.&nbsp; The fee to climb Everest in autumn is $7,500 (up from $5,500), but most climbers still prefer spring. Winter permit fee (December-February) is only $3,750 per person and the mountain is now also open for monsoon (June-August) climbs, when the fee is ever lower at $2,750. The revised rule also makes it mandatory for every two climbers on an 8,000m peak to hire one Nepali mountain guide.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025053004050_67f856fe52714e4bdcf21ae7d45c6f18c82117b9d0a5f73ed1efa04c96de1046.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2025053004050_67f856fe52714e4bdcf21ae7d45c6f18c82117b9d0a5f73ed1efa04c96de1046" data-rendition-name="original" width="931" height="732" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry graph 1"> </figure>  In addition, climbers also have to pay for porters and guides, equipment, Base Camp costs, Ice Fall and fixed rope team fees, so climbing Everest does not come cheap. But such is the draw of climbing the world’s highest peak that some say the increased fees will not diminish the crowds next year. The government has tried to spread expeditions out to other seasons and other 8,000ers, but with not much success. Earlier this year, Nepal unilaterally increased the number of 8,000m peaks to 14 by adding six more sub-summits to broaden the choice for climbers. Added were: Yalung Kang (8,505m), Yalung Kang West (8,077m) &nbsp;Kangchenjunga Central (8,473m), Kangchenjunga South (8,476m), Lhotse Middle (8,410m) and Lhotse Shar (8,400m).&nbsp; The announcement could go against the accepted topographic criteria that a stand alone peak has to be at least 300m higher than an adjoining prominence, and at more than 3km isolation from it. The UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme) still recognises only 14 mountains as eight-thousanders, and only eight of those are in Nepal, or on the border with China. Nepal’s revised mountaineering regulations also increased the insurance coverage of high-altitude workers to protect porters and high altitude guides who usually take more risks on the mountains. Rescue teams and clean-up campaigners to collect trash and remove bodies of dead climbers up to Camp IV of Mt Everest do not need permits.&nbsp; The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee is now using drones to fly down trash in 20kg sacks. Each climber is also required to bring down at least 6kg of waste and not just their own, but this rule is erratically enforced. With five fatalities on Everest and Lhotse, Spring 2025 had a historically low death toll. Another five climbers died on Annapurna, Kangchenjunga and Makalu.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025053004050_38681de22f0fefb6faa12b01755566d09c5064d0ff84e12ccc7b5d68ea9ba38a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2025053004050_38681de22f0fefb6faa12b01755566d09c5064d0ff84e12ccc7b5d68ea9ba38a" data-rendition-name="original" width="665" height="740" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest industry graph 2"> </figure>  Journalist Ben Ayers who ran the Everest Live social media channel from Everest Base Camp with daily updates credited the low death rate to dramatic rescues of climbers from the ‘Death Zone’ by their Nepali guides and longline helievacs — the visuals all uploaded on YouTube.&nbsp; “Ironically, this perception of safety is bringing more and more inexperienced climbers to the mountain, and they need more rescues,” Ayers said in one of his dispatches.&nbsp; American expedition chronicler and summiteer Alan Arnette suspects there is a lot of under-reporting given that the jet stream and storms were lashing Everest even till late in the season. He told us: “I heard a lot about frostbite and rescues that were not made public. It’s become practically impossible to cover the details on Everest. All the teams report nice news, and they don’t talk about bad stuff to avoid hurting businesses.” Although trash on Nepal’s mountains makes headlines, what does not receive as much attention is the climate impact of so many expeditions. The Sagarmatha Sambaad conference sidestepped this issue, which is ironic given that the impact of climate breakdown is most evident on Himalayan peaks and their glaciers.&nbsp; <h2>Need for Speed</h2> The big stories this year have been about speed-running from their home cities to the top of Everest. Ukrainian entrepreneur Andrew Ushakov flew out of JFK on 15 May at 10:15AM Nepal time, and was on the summit 3 days, 23 hours, and 7 minutes later on 19 May at 9:22AM.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250601080640_1c5cc6fc991307861768f07037ed9d30930fb20f35dbb57dc31c9a92a9e1a885.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20250601080640_1c5cc6fc991307861768f07037ed9d30930fb20f35dbb57dc31c9a92a9e1a885" data-rendition-name="original" width="1440" height="1800" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry"> <figcaption>Andrew Ushakov at the summt. Photo: ELITE EXPED</figcaption> </figure>  “I could never find the time for the traditional 40-50 days of acclimatisation,” Ushakov explained matter-of-factly. His ‘Everest Sea-to-Summit’ climb was possible because he spent 400 hours in hypoxic sleep tents over the past four years in New York. However, Ushakov did use ropes already fixed, hired four Nepali guides, helicoptered to Base Camp, and used much more oxygen than an average climber. And after the climb, Ushakov was arrested at Kathmandu airport for being in possession of $20,000 of undeclared cash and spent a night in jail and fined $60,000.&nbsp; The other speedsters were Garth Miller, Alastair Cairns, Anthony Stazicker, and Kev Godlington, all former British Army commandos. They left London and summited five days later on 21 May, and flew right back. They also used hypoxic tents to simulate the thin air high on Everest.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250601080644_90c8dd5cc07b4b43f2989b1dc0c0650ab80f10ebb06680c25a6909c519957bd8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250601080644_90c8dd5cc07b4b43f2989b1dc0c0650ab80f10ebb06680c25a6909c519957bd8" data-rendition-name="original" width="810" height="668" loading="lazy" alt="The Everest Industry "> <figcaption>All four members of the Furtenbach team at the summit. Photo: Sandro Gromen-Hayes</figcaption> </figure>  But more controversial was their use of xenon gas therapy in a German hospital to ramp up the production of oxygen-carrying haemoglobins in their blood. Xenon is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for being performance enhancing in sports. Expedition leader Lukas Furtenbach said this rule does not apply to mountaineering, as it is not a regulated sport like swimming. Nepal has no rules about xenon, but the Department of Tourism said it was launching an ‘investigation’ to decide on future policy since it is difficult to ban xenon, but allow oxygen. The controversy has also divided the mountaineering community, with some climbers saying they just want to maximise their chances of survival. Spending less time on the mountain could make climbing safer by reducing avalanche risk. It would also mean less trash on the mountains, but it would reduce the income of Nepal’s expedition industry. It is also unclear how much of the success was due to xenon therapy and whether the ex-special forces were already in good physical shape.&nbsp; The need for speed hides the fact that climbing in the Himalaya is dangerous business, and climbers cannot sprint to the top just by huffing xenon. But ultra-fast climbs could be charged more, and the revenue generated can be used to establish state-of-the-art rescue operations, and increase pay and insurance for guides. Two other speed chasers this season were Swiss-Ecuadorian Karl Egloff and American Tyler Andrews, both on Everest without oxygen. Andrews choppered to Base Camp to catch a weather window, but turned back from 8,500m due to high winds. Heavy snow and wind also forced Egloff to descend from 7,000m. Slow and steady climbers like Anja Blacha from Germany did make it to the summit without oxygen, while Kami Rita Sherpa broke his own record with his 31st Everest summit as he led a 26-strong Indian Army group. There were 468 permits issued for foreign climbers from 48 expeditions to Everest this spring. Nepal’s other eight-thousanders together had only 17 expeditions. Nepal has more than 1,000 peaks above 6,000m, and has opened only 476 of them for climbing.&nbsp;

The Everest Industry

While Nepal marked <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mt-everest-pvt-ltd">Mt Everest</a> Day on 29 May, on the other side of the planet in the US state of Colorado dozens of Nepalis who have climbed the world’s highest peak multiple times were busy working as chefs and Uber drivers. Among them is Nima Doma Sherpa, who climbed Mt Everest in 2019 after her husband Tshering Wangchu was among 16 crushed by an avalanche on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/on-thin-ice-in-the-khumbu">the Khumbu Icefall</a> five years earlier. A large serac broke off the West Shoulder of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-everest-industry">Mt Everest </a>and fell directly on a group of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/more-porters-sick-on-everest-trail">porters and guides</a> making their way up the Icefall at 5,800m. Their bodies were flown by helicopter to Khumjung where Tshering Wangchu was born. He was excited about climbing Mt Everest for the first time.&nbsp; In Khumjung, Nima Doma felt like her own life had also ended. This was the kind of news Sherpa wives, mothers and sisters dreaded every <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-climbing-season-2025-s4abrxny">mountaineering season</a>. She stayed home for more than two years grieving, but ultimately gathered up all her emotional strength to take care of her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. Nima had grown up in Khumjung hearing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/stories-of-nepal-s-summiteers">tales of adventure on the mountains </a>from their father, Ang Chubi Sherpa who had climbed Everest in 1993. He used to bring her and her sisters and brother European chocolates after every expedition, and used to tell them that the chocolate bars grew on the mountains. “It was only after we got older did we realise that he told us that chocolates grew in the mountains so we would not worry about him putting himself in harm's way,” Nima Doma recalled with a faraway look at her home in Boulder this week. Nima went to the school that <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/commemorating-edmund-hillary-in-nepal,4145">Edmund Hillary</a> opened in Khumjung till Grade 8, and then dropped out to help in the kitchen and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">tend yaks</a>. She was married off to Tshering Wangchu, who was also a high altitude guide. When Tshering went on expeditions, Nima also started working as a porter from Namche to Base Camp. It was perhaps her father’s tales of mountains of chocolates that had always attracted her to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/knowing-our-mountains-43v4iyvo">the peaks</a>. After her husband was killed ten years ago this month, being a widow with children was not easy for Nima Doma. But she was not alone: there were at least 200 single mothers in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/khumbu-since-1950-jaww4qn0">the Khumbu</a>, and 20 of them just in Khumjung whose husbands had been killed in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/tragic-start-to-himalayan-spring-nepal,3695">mountaineering accidents</a>. Some were not even 20 years old, and had children growing up without fathers. But there were also women in the 50s whose husbands had been killed in the 1980s. Nima found sponsors for her children’s education, and moved to Kathmandu. In the capital, Sherpa widows used to meet to help each other. Some of them had joined the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) training for rock and ice climbing. “I decided that it was no use sitting home and crying anymore, after meeting other single mothers I felt less alone,” remembers Nima, who joined the Juniper Foundation and enrolled in an NMA training camp in Manang. There she climbed Chulu East (6,584m) and met Furadiki Sherpa, whose rope-fixing husband had also been <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/on-mt-everest-s-70th-records-and-fatalities">killed on Everest</a> in 2013. They set themselves the goal of climbing Everest one day, and started a fund-raising drive.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250530090544_621be0724b9182c8e3594b2c562a71ec32ac01d985a71d0cf31646de9d51e15a.png" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250530090544_621be0724b9182c8e3594b2c562a71ec32ac01d985a71d0cf31646de9d51e15a" data-rendition-name="original" width="2678" height="1274" loading="lazy" alt="Everest summiteers find new life in the US"> </figure>  “We decided we had to overcome society’s stigma of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/widows-personal-happiness-comes-last-in-face-of-social-financial-hardships,1855">widowhood</a> and prove that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/remembering-junko-tabei">women could also climb mountains</a>,” Nima said, adding that she was inspired by Nepal’s first woman Everest summiteer Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, who died during her descent in 1993. Nima Doma and Furdiki climbed the technically-difficult Ama Dablam (6,812m) and then arrived at Everest Base Camp in April 2019 as part of their Two Widows Expedition with the motto, ‘So Can We’. While climbing up the Icefall Nima passed the spot where her husband had been killed. It was a jumble of constantly-shifting ice blocks bigger than houses. She closed her eyes and said a prayer. “I remember thinking, this is so difficult and dangerous. This is what my husband had to do to support our family,” Nima Doma said. “I was determined to fulfil my husband’s dream of climbing Chomolungma, and to prove to ourselves that we two women could do it.” It was 23 May 2019 when <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/two-sherpa-widows-scale-everest-and-smash-stigma-idUSKCN1SU0MV/" target="_blank">Nima and Furdiki stepped on the summit</a> and looked over into Tibet, and down at Tengboche Monastery to the south.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250530090544_6b822582b5d88ba5e972db084f184690b40653c6efd9901b2dd082ffba2a263b.png" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="20250530090544_6b822582b5d88ba5e972db084f184690b40653c6efd9901b2dd082ffba2a263b" data-rendition-name="original" width="2700" height="1522" loading="lazy" alt="Everest summiteers find new life in the US"> </figure>  Nima Doma hugged Furdiki, took off her mask and wept. But for the first time in five years, it was not from grief but relief — relief for being free of all the sadness and sacrifices and for fulfilling her husband’s dream. They had found <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/life-after-death">life after death</a>. “I felt this immense joy to be on top of the world, it was indescribable,” Nima Doma said, “I have wept only twice in my life. Once when my husband died, and once there on top of Everest.” The tears had frozen on Nima Doma’s cheeks, as she and Furdiki headed back down the mountain.