ABU DHABI // Many Nepalis in the UAE are returning home to help families stricken by the earthquake on Saturday.
On Sunday they went to Nepal’s embassy in the capital to obtain emergency travel documents.
“My two-storey house has collapsed and my relatives were injured as they fled the quake,” said Purna Bahadur, 31, a supermarket employee who has been working in Abu Dhabi for four years.
“I talked to my family briefly today, but their mobile phone batteries are drained. They can’t recharge them because of the power cuts. I am travelling home to see my wife and two children. I came to the embassy to get my passport, which I had submitted for renewal.”
Mr Bahadur said his home in Nepal cost more than Dh18,000 to construct and it would need to be rebuilt.
That is a daunting task for him because he earns Dh1,400 a month.
When the earthquake struck, all his family members were not at home in Dhading district, a journey of two hours from Kathmandu.
“If it happened during the night, nobody would have survived,” he said.
Like Mr Bahadur, Prem Sherpa’s home was also destroyed by the earthquake.
“I talked to my wife. She had to spend the night outside,” said the 41-year-old cook, who lives in Dubai.
“The electricity was cut. My phone calls don’t go through. We are traumatised and desperate for answers.
“I have to rebuild my house. Building a home in Nepal is a very expensive affair. A simple house in the suburbs costs up to 3 million Nepalese rupees (Dh108,190).”
Krishna Bhusal, head of the Non-Resident Nepali Association in Abu Dhabi, has formed a committee to advise Nepali and find help for their families in need.
Dhananjay Jha, Nepal’s ambassador to the UAE, said some Nepalis who approached the mission knew their relatives were killed in the disaster.
He said the embassy was ready to provide any assistance it could.
As many as 3,000 Nepali expatriates may have been affected, said the ambassador.
The UAE is home to about 300,000 Nepalis.
Mr Jha said his home in Kathmandu was damaged and his family was forced to sleep in the open.
“My daughter told me that windows were broken and walls were cracked,” he said.
Many people offered to help Nepal, including a UAE businessman who donated Dh100,000 to the aid effort, said Mr Jha.
Members of the public can donate to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, or contact the Nepalese embassy at +971 2634 4385.
Facebook has enabled its users to track the whereabouts of their friends and family who were in the area struck by the earthquake. The safety check feature can be found here.
In the UAE, telecoms company du gave its customers three free minutes to call Nepal.
Messaging and calling app Viber also offered free calls to its users.
anwar@thenational.ae
