Following the royal family’s assassination in 2001, the Nepalese monarchy was severely weakened. In 2006, in response to street pressure and the Maoists advance chasing government forces from rural areas, a government overhaul was initiated. A constituent assembly election in April 2008 saw the Maoists’ victory, which confirmed the abolition of the monarchy and its replacement by a Federal Democratic Republic. Due to the importance of the humanitarian crisis linked to the 2015 earthquakes, the members of the second Constituent Assembly agreed on a new constitution that was promulgated on 20 September 2015. Elections are held in 2017, suggesting a period of stability, the two majority parties forming a single ruling Communist Party.
Nepal is the 93rd largest country in the world in terms of area and the 41st most populous country with an area of 147,181 square kilometers and a population of about 30 million. Kathmandu, the capital is the largest city in the country. The population is composed of a multitude of ethnic groups and castes, with a vast mosaic of beliefs and traditions. The country suffers from major structural weaknesses and political fragility, mainly due to the civil war that ended in 2006 and its vulnerability to natural disasters.
In 2015, two devastating earthquakes hit 39 of the country's 75 districts. Since then, deep and enduring consequences have remained, and the country is struggling to reorganize its infrastructure and economy. The important work that had begun to strengthen economic stability, build a road network, and develop state infrastructure (education, health, administration, etc.) has been jeopardized. Despite ongoing national reconstruction work, supported by the international community, inhabitants of rural areas have not recovered their pre-earthquake living conditions.
Triangle Humanitarian Generation (TGH) opened its first mission in 2015, following the earthquake, and implemented an emergency programme in three villages in the Kavrepalanchok district (Koshidekha, Kharelthok and Sarsyunkharka). The TGH team participated in the emergency and post-emergency response in this region.
In September 2016, TGH began an integrated global reconstruction programme in the villages of Thangpaldhap, Thangpalkot, Bothang and Gunsakot in Sindhupalchowk district. This programme, which will end in December 2019, has supported the reconstruction of public infrastructure and family homes. This reconstruction phase has enabled our teams to implement earthquake-resistant construction techniques in this particularly vulnerable region. The rehabilitation of the water distribution networks for cultivation and consumption was carried out in parallel and enabled the villagers to resume their agricultural activities and reorganize their daily lives.
Families have also been supported in their socio-economic reconstruction through rural organizations and cooperatives. The most vulnerable families, particularly those affected by the earthquake, received personalised and adapted assistance.
After more than 3 years of joint efforts and despite the trauma of the disaster, the community was able to recover and return to the living conditions before the earthquake. The dynamics of reconstruction have given the region a breath of hope. Led by local representatives and in collaboration with TGH, new projects for regional economic development will have to start in 2020. Its projects will promote organic farming and anticipate climate change.
To implement its activities, TGH works in partnership with ARSOW-Nepal, an association for the social well-being of rural areas, created in 1992 to defend social justice and help the economic development of marginalized populations.