Nepal is one of the most disaster-vulnerable country in the world. It ranks second after Bangladesh in the number of large-scale disaster as experienced in 1985 and 2000. 97% of the total population is at risk from two or more disaster hazards. The UNDP has found out that Nepal is the 11th most vulnerable country to floods. These disasters claim hundreds of lives and cause hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of damage each year. Climate change makes things worse.
The year 1993 (2050 B.S.) was a particularly bad year for floods and landslides. Hundred of people lost their lives and thousands were made homeless. At that time, leaders of many leaders of many of the churches in the Kathmandu valley met together and decided to make a joint contribution towards relief for the victims. They also decided to form an organization to reach out to those affected by disaster in the future, and Nepal Christian Relief Services (NCRS) was born. The work of NCRS grew from occasional relief interventions to a more comprehensive vision and program of activities such as relief support, rehabilitation, livelihood, disaster preparedness and mitigation.
