Ten Years of Response: Honouring the Resilience of Nepal

Pictured: A woman surveys her earthquake-ruined home in Bhaktapur, Nepal in 2015. Credit: Julian Bound

Ten years ago today, at 11:56 am local time, Nepal was struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Nearly 9,000 lives were lost. Tens of thousands were injured. Homes, history, and communities were reduced to rubble in seconds.

And yet, in the heart of that devastation, something remarkable endured: the resilience of the Nepali people.

In the hours that followed, neighbours became lifelines. Families shared what little they had. Communities mobilised to care for their own. Long before outside help arrived, people were already leading their own response with courage, dignity, and quiet strength.

It was this unbreakable spirit that Team Rubicon UK (later to be known as REACT Disaster Response) encountered during its first-ever deployment. A 17-strong team of UK veterans, led by General Sir Nick Parker, journeyed to Nepal not to take charge, but to stand alongside affected communities and help in any way they could.

Paul Taylor deployed as part of that first team. Now International Operations Manager at REACT, he reflects:

"I had recently returned from trekking in Nepal and was fortunate enough to be able to return and assist in the relief efforts. This involved a long road move from Kathmandu out to Gorkha, but as we were loading up our vehicle, we were caught up in a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. We ran down the road as the buildings collapsed around us, and after helping to pull some bodies from the rubble and assisting the police in cordoning off the area, we drove off in silence – still the most frightening experience of a life fairly well lived."

"Eventually I found myself in a place called Laprak near the epicentre of the earthquake, working with an incredible team of climbers, Sherpas, doctors, and most importantly the local population – who were carrying loads of rice, blankets and tarpaulins from the road far below. This experience was a ‘road to Damascus’ moment for me… The lessons I learnt in the mountains of Nepal about how small teams of determined people can make a difference in the chaos that reigns in the immediate aftermath of a disaster have long stayed with me. Amidst this chaos we see the very best of humanity – which cuts across all boundaries and unites us in a common purpose to alleviate human suffering."

Nepal taught us what it means to respond with humility. It showed us that true leadership in a crisis often comes from those living through it. And it set the foundation for who we would become as an organisation: veteran-powered, humanitarian-first, and committed to standing with communities on their worst days.

Today, on the 10th anniversary of the earthquake, we remember the lives lost and the families forever changed. But above all, we honour the resilience, generosity, and strength of the people of Nepal, who shaped not only their own recovery, but also the journey of our organisation. Today also marks ten years since our organisation was formed in the aftermath of that disaster. 

A decade on, we remain on mission: most recently responding to the earthquake in Myanmar, still driven to reach the most vulnerable, in the hardest-to-reach places, when they need us most. 

We will never forget where we came from, and we will never stop showing up.

Whatever it takes.