The COVID-19 crisis has spread to every corner of the Earth, including the Himalayas. This spring, new waves of infections and deaths have devastated communities in the Himalayan region, including the Kathmandu Valley, resulting in some of the worst outbreaks of the pandemic.

We hope you will join us in supporting the following organizations, which can make the difference between life and death for many people affected by the pandemic.

The Small World – Nepal COVID-19 Relief Fund — Nepal

The Nepal COVID-19 Relief Fund provides immediate assistance in the form of medical emergency supplies, food for children and vulnerable community members, safe drinking water, and facemasks. The fund also supplies hygiene and food kits for communities to prevent further spread of the virus. As a local organization, The Small World team can reach marginalized communities in remote villages quickly. They closely coordinate with local authorities to make a greater impact on the ground, working together to get through this difficult situation.

Hope and Challenge — Nepal

Hope and Challenge provides free meals for those in need, often serving over 1,000 meals per day. The organization also provides scholarships to young children and a therapeutic community for recovering addicts in Kathmandu.

Project HOPE — Nepal and India

In Nepal, Project HOPE is working with an existing COVID-19 partner to coordinate the delivery of aid. Local procurement and international shipments of aid are planned for immediate distribution across the country. Over 60 doctors and nurses are being trained on the latest information in the critical care of COVID-19 patients as well as vaccine science and rollout mechanisms.

In India, Project HOPE is working with local partners and government officials to facilitate the rapid in-country procurement and distribution of PPE, oxygen supplies, ICU equipment, ventilators, and other critical items to support the overwhelmed healthcare system. Relief plans target seven states in India, coordinating with government officials to get supplies to hospitals and clinics where they are needed most. An initial shipment of 500,000 masks has been received for immediate distribution in Odisha State in India. Procurements for additional supplies and equipment are well underway.

Himalayan COVID-19 Task Force – Nepal, India, and beyond

The Himalayan COVID-19 Task Force (HCTF) is a network of committed professionals from a wide spectrum of healthcare disciplines. The Task Force includes doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, public health specialists, counselors, social workers, and community liaisons from the Tibetan, Nepali, Sherpa, and Bhutanese communities across the United States of America.

Bhutan Foundation – Bhutan

The Bhutan Foundation works to serve the people of Bhutan in living and sharing the principles of Gross National Happiness. During the pandemic the foundation has supported the Ministry of Health in supplying PPE, medical supplies, and health equipment, helped local grassroots organizations with economic relief support, and helped local farmers throughout the country to improve food security and access to resources.

Sewa International — India

Sewa International started the “Help India Defeat COVID-19” campaign to raise funds for supplies, ensuring that the much-needed lifesaving medical equipment like oxygen-concentrators and ventilators are acquired and shipped to hospitals across India.

Feeding From Far — India

Since the first lockdown, Feeding From Far has been taking care of over 7,000 families in the largest and oldest waste dumping ground and slum in Mumbai: Govandi. Since most residents of Govandi are migrants, daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers, rag pickers, or engaged in similar occupations, they are currently unemployed and unable to afford food. It takes $10 to feed one family.

Mission Oxygen — India

Mission Oxygen helps hospitals save lives by procuring and donating oxygen concentrators, supplementing hospital infrastructure with oxygenation plants and other lifesaving equipment.