United NationsOffice for Outer Space Affairs

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UNIS/OS/450 
27 April 2015

UN Outer Space Office provides open satellite resources for emergency response after Nepal earthquake

BONN/VIENNA, 27 April (UN Information Service) - In response to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the United Nations Platform for Space-based information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER), a programme under the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), is supporting the disaster response efforts by making openly available all satellite-based resources.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.8 and a depth of 15km, resulted in the deaths of more than 3,500 people and injured a further 7,000. Officials have reported that around 100,000 people have been left homeless.

To support the rescue efforts, several agencies are involved in producing satellite-based information. UN-SPIDER has now compiled this information into an easily accessible format. Satellite-based information is vitally important to help aid agencies target their relief efforts, by showing the areas and roads destroyed by the earthquake so they can reach people in need more quickly. The list is being constantly updated and UN-SPIDER staff can be contacted for updates at  un-spider@unoosa.org.

The list can be found at  http://www.un-spider.org/advisory-support/emergency-support/9911/earthquake-nepal-india-bangladesh-china

For further information, please contact:

Anne  Pustina 
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs / UN-SPIDER 
Telephone: +49-228-815-0678

 or

Sinead  Harvey
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs 
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-8718 
Email: sinead.harvey[at]unoosa.org