VOLUNTEERS AND RESOURCES
When Thirst No More responded to Haiti we were amazed by the numbers of people willing to go and help, hands on.  Not only did TNM take hundreds of volunteers to Haiti, many other organizations did the same thing.  Finally, there were so many volunteer groups that we relocated our efforts out in the mountains to reach out to people who were not inundated each week with a new group.  Unlike Haiti, Nepal is a 30 hour + trip, one way.  It's not as familiar and it's much more rugged.  Needless to say, there are far fewer volunteers and far fewer resources on the ground to deal with a very widespread problem.  Like anything else, location is a key factor.

INFRASTRUCTURE 
Haiti has very difficult roads and hard to reach areas.  It was often a bumpy ride but we never had problems getting where we needed to go.  In Nepal, home of the Himalayas, there are villages only accessible by steep mountain trails.  Additionally, many villages on the treacherous mountain roads are being repeatedly cut off by ongoing landslides.

DISPLACED PEOPLES
In Haiti the UN reported that close to 1.5 million people were displaced by the earthquake.  In Nepal the UN estimates 285,000 homes have been destroyed and tens of thousands more have been damaged.  There were an estimated 2.8 million people displaced by the initial earthquake with that number growing since the recent 7.3 aftershock.  So while the death toll is much less than Haiti, the scope of destruction is nearly twice that of the Islands earthquake.

Tarps are the urgent need.  We are grateful to everyone who has responded to our Pure Charity fundraiser and ask you to help us spread the word.