Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) is deeply committed to working for the welfare of mountaineering expedition workers, their families and communities. Following the loss of the lives of 16 climbing Sherpas on Mt. Everest in the avalanche that occurred on 18 April 2014, the NMA has been working to provide support for the families directly affected by this tragedy and also create a long-term, sustainable way to assist Nepalese affected by all mountaineering incidents in the future.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) of the Government of Nepal has directly tasked the NMA with ensuring that the families of the climbing Sherpas who died on 18 April are provided adequate support; in particular, MoCTCA has requested that the NMA ensure the education of the children of these mountaineers continues without any interruption.
With the clear need for an official response system to provide support for all victims of mountaineering accidents in Nepal in mind, the NMA has established the Mountaineering Disaster Relief and Educational Support (MDRES) Fund, which received approval from the Social Welfare Council, Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Children, Government of Nepal on 23 July 2014 (2071-04-07) R.N. 0172 – 071/072.