By KELCY DOLAN

From Kathmandu to Warwick the earthquake that struck Nepal has raised a call to action. Several local individuals and businesses are rushing to aid Nepal in the aftermath of the disaster.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck 30 of the 75 districts in Nepal and reverberations reached as far as Bangladesh and India.

According to CNN, as of last night the death toll was over 5,000 people and expected to rise increasingly as crews reach more remote villages throughout the country. Many of the roads and bridges leading to those remote village have been damaged or blocked due to landslides hampering the efforts of first responders.

Plan International, a child-centered global organization, with their American chapter headquarters in Warwick, is focusing on reaching those remote villages. Plan International works with impoverished and disaster stricken communities to come up with long-term solutions.

The organization has had offices in Nepal since 1978 and feels that by having a pre-existing and strong network within the country it will be able to reach those villages.

Ann Hudock, senior vice president of international programs for Plan USA, in a phone interview Wednesday said because Plan has offices in Nepal many on staff were directly effected by the earthquake.

Although their staff is all accounted for, some have friends or loved ones injured or missing and thus will be activating their international first response federation.

Currently, Plan staff in Nepal are distributing 2,000 mosquito nets, tarpaulins and blankets and, as a child-centered charity, creating safe places for children to play. She said that children are experiencing trauma, especially if they lost a loved one, that with their maturity level they may not be able to comprehend.

“We want to return some small part of normalcy to their lives to help them cope,” Hudock said.

Even though Plan focuses on children, they are very concerned that monsoon season is quickly approaching. Those same areas will be at a higher risk of landslides and the spread of disease.

Mattias Bryneson, country director of Plan Nepal, in a press release from Kathmandu said, “It is already starting to rain, and families with babies and young children are left out in the wet and the cold. People are still in shock and trying to come to terms with what has happened to them, so it’s imperative that we move quickly and in coordination with other aid agencies.”

Hudock said that in the next few days Nepal expects heavy rains, which will only worsen the country’s current situation.

“For those who survived, we don’t want them to now succumb to exposure or illness,” Hudock said. “It would only cause to exacerbate the disaster.”

Also concerned with the spread of disease is Dr. Ehsun Mirza, a Kent Hospital intensive care medicine specialist who left late last night to help medical efforts in Nepal.

Mirza is no stranger to earthquake disasters. In 2005, after Pakistan experienced their 7.6 magnitude quake, Mirza, a native to the country, did relief work.

“You never forget what you see,” Mirza said. “I will never forget the scent, the smell from those days working in Pakistan.”

He said he understands what a traumatic event an earthquake can be and Nepal can expect consequences from this quake “for decades to come”

“The decision to go was simple; it had to be done,” he said.

Mirza had already had a block from work off and said his wife Saira was “unconditionally supportive” in his decision to work in Nepal.

According to Mirza, Nepal currently doesn’t have a cohesive central organizing body for relief work and thus expects chaos upon landing in the devastated country.

He said, “I will see hundreds if not thousands of tents where families will be living on makeshift beds. I hope I land and I can just dive right in to action to help”

In Nepal his biggest concern will be addressing trauma/crash injuries such as broken bones, bones poking out of the flesh and internal bleeding. He said he is expecting a lot of tetanus from the damage and hopes they can control the spread of disease.

Although the death toll is already more than 5,000, Mirza estimates it will “quadruple.”

“Every disaster is different,” Mirza said. “That’s why at the end of the day there is a lot of improvisation to the art of medicine concerning supplies, medications and diagnoses.”

Not everyone can jump on a plane to Nepal for relief efforts, but local residents are putting together initiatives right here.

Dr. Timothy Warren, has been to Nepal several times and climbed Mount Everest three times. He was shocked when he saw that an avalanche caused by the earthquake killed 18 Everest climbers while they were at base camp.

“When you’re climbing there’s enough that will kill you without an earthquake. Base camp is supposed to be safe,” Warren said.

He said Nepal’s economy relies on the revenue brought in by tourism, especially climbers, and having to close will be “devastating economically” for the country.

“This tragedy, affecting an entire region, is only going to get worse. That’s not being negative, that’s a reality,” he said.

He said small villages in steep valleys will be “wiped off the map” and centuries old monuments and palaces have been destroyed and leveled.

Warren said the focus now is to get survivors alive day-by-day and saving lives and this requires “going back to basics, water, warmth and shelter.” He is supporting charities and relief organizations that are addressing immediate concerns and bringing supplies to survivors. He is working with the American Himalayan Foundation and the Juniper Fund. He is also looking to host a comedy night fundraiser at Brewed Awakenings in Warwick. Warren is meeting with the comedians from Funny 4 Funds soon to organize an event.

Warren said that an event like this is devastating no matter where it is, but knowing the people of Nepal he is extra saddened by their suffering.

“The people of Nepal are just incredible,” Warren said. “You can go into any temple and there are people of both the Hindu and Buddhist religions standing shoulder to shoulder worshipping in their own way with no animosity but in complete peace. There aren’t more peaceful people anywhere.”

To donate to Plan International visit their website at www.planusa.org.

To donate to the Juniper Fund, which supports sherpas and their families after injury or death, visit www.thejuniperfund.org.

To donate to the American Himalayan Foundation visit their website at www.himalayn-foundation.org.