MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Almost eight million people have been affected by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday morning, the UN Office of the Resident Coordinator in Nepal said Tuesday.
“According to initial estimations and based on the latest earthquake intensity mapping, 8 million people in 39 districts have been affected, of which over 2 million people live in the 11 severely affected districts,” the organization said in a statement issued on Monday.
The estimated number of people affected was calculated using Nepal government census data, according to the statement.
The statement highlighted that over 1.4 million people in the country are in need of food assistance.
Tourists from the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada and India are among the victims of the disaster. Dozens of people in neighboring India, Bangladesh and China were reportedly killed.
International search and rescue missions from Russia and around the world are underway in Nepal to help affected locals and foreign nationals. The World Food Program is providing food and trucks and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has sent tents and health care supplies.
