My short bio: Hi Reddit! I am Andrew Pearlman. I have been working as the Team Leader for the DCA emergency response for the last year, leading a team of national expatriate staff responding to the crisis. Originally from the north London suburbs, I have worked in South Sudan, Somaliland, Central Asia and Cambodia on disaster response and disaster prevention. I would be happy to share the experience of responding to the Nepal earthquake (or anything else about being a response leader!!)

My Proof: http://imgur.com/gallery/f66cG9l My linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-pearlman-820b199?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

Project website: http://dcanepalearthquake.com/ Project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DCA-Nepal-Earthquake-Emergency-Project-668726946602811/

Comments: 21 • Responses: 8  • Date: 

krisanthemum7 karma

What do you prioritize when it comes to dealing with a disaster like that?

anpedca6 karma

It depends on the context, as each context is different. You have the initial assessments that each agency carries out that gives a good idea of what is going on and where the damage is. In our case the priority was getting food, tents and tarpaulins to those living on the street after the impact. The second priority was some support for shelter so that people has roofs over their head during the monsoon rains. Then we started looking at rebuilding damaged infrastructure especially for water and sanitation. So you have to reflect on the needs and design your programming accordingly, often within a very short space of time.

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speckofdustisalliam2 karma

Hi Andrew! I have traveled to Nepal before. Would you please share how is the condition there in a year time?

anpedca3 karma

Hi there, well there has been a lot of work done so far, but the needs are still really great in terms of shelter reconstruction and also in terms of rebuilding damaged water supply. A lot has been done but there is still a lot more work that needs to be done

Miss_-Nepal-2 karma

Do you want to go trekking with me this weekend ? There is huge WASH needs in my village...

anpedca1 karma

Sadly we already have our programming areas, so I do not think that this would be possible, but thank you for the offer.

Sweta_DCA2 karma

Can you share them moment when you felt achieved leading this project?

anpedca2 karma

Hi Sweta, thanks for the comment! I think that there are few, the first is cash for shelter where we assisted around 11,000 households for immediate shelter, and assisting around 3500 for cash for livelihoods. I also think our work on psychosocial assistance helping people to recovery emotionally as well as psychically from the disaster was important and where trained community members in mediation to resolve local disaster related problems and issues.

anpedca2 karma

but i think also standing at a completed water scheme knowing that people have received real assistance and seeing people use the latrines that the project has built has real emotional resonance for me.

CircularMatrix1 karma

It ia 3am on the West Coast. What is your favorite kind of bread?

anpedca2 karma

Interesting question, I think I prefer brown multi-grain! No specific type other than that really.

Miss_-Nepal-2 karma

I prefer Olive bread.. They make really good Olive bread in Kathmandu

anpedca2 karma

I havent tried olive bread here, its more chapati, but some places do a really good naan, although its kinda hard to find a proper tandoori naan, most people say they have tandoors, but they dont, its disappointing in a way.

whitecoats_1 karma

[deleted]

anpedca1 karma

It depends which sites. For example the main tower a Budhanath was destroyed and there was damage to Bhaktapur and other sites, so this was quite extensive. The main issue is whether the authorities are going to be able to conduct effective restoration. So yes the damage to heritage was extensive but hopefully the reconstruction efforts will work.

In terms of human trafficking actually this did increase after the disaster, although not as much as feared. One of our partners was actively involved in raising awareness of this. However trafficking is a long term development issue for Nepal, so yes it did increase after the earthquake.