Wout de Jong, a photographer from the Netherlands has remained in Bandipur, a town about 80 km outside Kathmandu, since the earthquake struck last Saturday. Earlier this week he shared his eyewitness account of those first terrifying few minutes. Now he tells his story about delivering food to people in the worst affected region, Gorkha district: “Around 250 people live in the village and I saw only two buildings left standing. All the rest were completely destroyed.”
Prompted by reports of remote villages close to the quakes’ epicentre not receiving any aid, De Jong along with other foreign tourists decided to try and do something about it. “Since we didn’t see any help coming out of Kathmandu, a group of ten people here decided to bring food to the villages” said De Jong. “We took one local friend with us ... he usually goes to the temple there, once a year and could act as translator. The others were people from Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, Spain and the US who were still here [because of the earthquake.]”
De Jong describes the journey they took on Thursday, to reach a village called Peslang, just 35km away. “We took three buses and it took us about four hours to get into the city, [Gorkha] near the village, and then about one further hour by foot.”
He did encounter some aid on route: “On the way up to the village I saw a helicopter and provisions protected by the army with barb wire and heavy guns. The helicopter was just outside Gorkha city ... beside the road. I really hoped this was going to areas that are impossible to reach by foot but it looked like they were just awaiting orders.”
On arrival in Peslang, de Jong describes a devastating scene; “The village was totally destroyed and had cost the lives of an entire young family including their ten month old baby.”
He continues, “They [the villagers] told us the young family were killed on the very stones we were walking on and that makes all the numbers [of dead] I had heard over the past few days so real.
The food was welcomed by some with relief and tears. I think the fact that people care makes the most difference. Their houses are still gone.”
De Jong believes it was the first time this village had received help from anyone. “Even though these people are so close to the city. I couldn’t see any people helping with the destruction or delivering food.
De Jong continues “Who knows how many horrible stories there are here and people that lost children, fathers and mothers to this earthquake. I know the food we brought isn’t much. I really hope it gives them hope, as it shows that people care.
The worst thing is that these people are suffering while there is food available to many of them if they had the funds.”
Wout de Jong shared his story with GuardianWitness
