Following the devastating earthquake in Nepal this week, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have teamed up with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to "help to identify Nepalese nationals or others with local or regional experience to provide technical expertise." According to the RIBA, the IFRC "has already deployed approximately 100 people to support the Nepal Red Cross in search and rescue efforts, emergency health, water and sanitation, relief, shelter and inter-agency coordination as well as support services such as telecoms and logistics." They state that "given the operational constraints in the country, most agencies are wary of overloading country teams at this stage. However, the IFRC anticipates there will be a need for additional technical expertise in due course."
In the UK, the main channel for making donations is the Disasters Emergency Committee, representing the thirteen major relief agencies, and Article 25 has also launched its own urgent appeal for donations. RIBA members or practices with the necessary expertise and experience to help are encouraged to register their interest with RIBA Head of International, Marcus Deeley.
