In the aftermath of the disaster | Nepalese migrants hunger for quake news

Sudarshan Thapa Magar

Since the 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal at 2.11 pm on Saturday, Sudarshan Thapa Magar’s mobile phone has barely stopped ringing or buzzing. The Nepalese community leader in Macau also owns media services in Nepal, and has been receiving news from his home country and feeding this information to his fellow migrants.
“Many Nepalese here are calling me to ask about updates. I get the information from Nepali news reports and the phone calls from Nepal, and I update our website and Facebook page every 30 minutes,” Mr Magar, the president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association Macau (NRNA), told the Times.
More than 48 hours after the devastating quake, fear and uncertainty still hover over the disaster area. At any time, a strong aftershock could arrive, or an avalanche, or a heavy rainstorm, or a house might collapse; hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering out in the open, worried.
“No one knows what may happen the next day. We are very worried. When I was talking on the phone with a friend in Nepal, the phone call suddenly dropped. Later I was told by others that he was sent to hospital, as a house had suddenly collapsed and injured his leg,” said Mr Magar.
As the scale of the disaster reveals itself, the death toll also climbs. Nepal’s National Emergency Operation Center reported yesterday that over 3,000 people are known to have died in the disaster, while more than 6,500 have been injured.
“I lost several cousins,” said the NRNA president, whose hometown is one of the worst-­struck areas outside the capital Katmandu. “My mother also injured her leg when her house collapsed. Now she’s in the street,” he added.
Besides Mr Magar, there are over 4,000 Nepalese migrants in Macau. Despite the concern and grief, they are holding their emotions in check for their work, which is mostly as security guards and domestic helpers. Mr Magar said that the Macau government has instructed the big employers to approve leave for their Nepalese employees so they can visit home.
However, many have suggested that going home wouldn’t be particularly helpful. Some have turned to Mr Magar and gathered at the association after work, where they seek support from each other and discuss how they could be of help.
“When we heard that news [of the earthquake], we were totally shocked. And when we saw the disaster photos, we were too scared and worried. (…) My reaction was that I froze,” said Roney Gurung, a worker whose hometown is in west Nepal’s Pokhara.
Gurung told the Times that his hometown was not badly affected, but his family, along with all the other citizens, were forced to sleep outdoors due to the constant aftershocks. “Everyone is worried. I can’t stop worrying, I am away from them anyways,” he said, adding that earthquake predictors in the country have flagged a red alert, warning of another devastating hit.
“We cried in our meetings. What can you do now? I told them, it’s already happened. Now we pray together and leave it to God’s hands,” said Mr Magar. “Thereby, we want to request everyone in Macau to also pray for Nepal.”
Faith is not the only pillar needed to support the victims, as relief supplies and basic necessaries are short on the ground. “The affected areas are now in a worse condition. What’s most needed now are water, medicine and blankets,” stressed the president.
Hoping to support their compatriots with more relief supplies, the Nepalese community in Macau has tried to raise funds among themselves and have called for more donations from the city.
“We are knocking on the doors of companies one by one. So far, two casinos have agreed to donate medicines and blankets through us, or to write us a check tomorrow. But practical help hasn’t been put into place,” Ms Chan, a volunteer for the NRNA, told the Times.

Nepali association calls for donations

The NRNA has called out to citizens, companies and organizations in Macau to make donations of either money or relief supplies to support the people affected by the disaster in Nepal. The association’s president, Sudarshan Thapa Magar, issued a letter stressing the victims’ urgent need for basic necessities such as food, water and shelter, in the process hoping to draw “immediate attention in this sorrowful moment.” For any inquiry or to make a donation, the NRNA can be reached by calling 28346631 or 66335811.

Local charities launch campaigns to help victims

Local branches of charity organizations are calling for donations to aid the disaster relief in Nepal. In addition, the Macau Red Cross has launched an emergency tracing service hotline, in order to help citizens seeking contact with families or family members who are lost in Nepal. The hotline number is +853 2831 3003, and the service will be provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
By publishing time yesterday, the Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) had received one request from a citizen seeking help to return to Macau. The affected person reportedly asked for a seat on a flight to be arranged. The office has sent out emergency contact numbers to 17 Macau-registered mobile numbers roaming in Nepal.
Following Macau Red Cross and the World Vision of Macau Association, Caritas Macau also launched a campaign yesterday to raise funds to help victims affected by the earthquake. Donations can be made via bank transaction and online via https://www.caritas.org.mo/zh-hant/donation/node.