UNICEF contacted BAPS Charities within hours of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that a left massive devastation in the capital city of Kathmandu and surrounding areas. Children in Nepal account for 40% of the country’s population. Recognizing a long history of effective service during times of emergency, BAPS Charities contributed $30,000 of funds raised from generous supporters to the UNICEF relief efforts on the ground in Nepal. UNICEF has a demonstrated track record of reaching the most vulnerable and remote communities of children around the world.
Since the earthquake, UNICEF has mobilized an urgent response to meet the needs of children affected by disaster, leading in the areas of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), nutrition, education, health, and child protection. UNICEF has already flown in more than 80 tons of aid, including tents, plastic sheeting, blankets, vaccinations and other life-saving medicines; set up child friendly spaces in informal camps, to offer support to help children recover from their experiences, as well as a safe place where they can play and learn; set up psychosocial support services; and delivered aid to remote areas.
The check was presented on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at UNICEF headquarters in New York City. BAPS Charities is able to support UNICEF in their efforts thanks to thousands of volunteers and donors across the United States who have stepped forward in the spirit of service to offer their help to Nepali victims. Praful Raja, a Director at BAPS Charities said, “Our longstanding partnership with UNICEF has provided for the development of children around the world during times of disaster, ensuring that their growth will not face significant setbacks as countries work to rebuild.” BAPS Charities has supported UNICEF in disaster response efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 and the typhoon in Haiyan, Philippines, in 2013.
“Working with BAPS Charities gives us the opportunity to partner with an organization that not only affects change around the world through its humanitarian and social activities, but does so through a set of ideals that are important to us here at UNICEF,” said Rachel Steinberg, Assistant Director of Civil Society Partnerships at U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “Through our long-term partnership with BAPS Charities, we have come to realize that value-based education and the overall development of children is something they take very seriously. This shared set of values makes our partnership effective and extremely valuable.”
