A fateful day that will sadly come to form part of Nepal’s history. The numbers of dead and disappeared are now in their thousands, in what is one of the most terrible humanitarian tragedies on record. Thousands of Nepalese have lost their loved ones and seen their homes turned into piles of rubble. The sheer magnitude of the tragedy has opened up a wound that will take a long time to heal. But apart from the emergency aid that is required immediately, it is essential for the international community to make a stable, lasting commitment the country, to ensure that Nepal will be able to recover within a reasonable period of time.

Furthermore, in addition to the incalculable loss of human life, the country’s historical, artistic and cultural heritage has also been seriously damaged. Kathmandu Valley, one of the cradles of humanity, and where different cultures, languages and religions have become intertwined and even merged, represents one of the places in the world with the most complex and valuable heritage – both material and immaterial.

That is why we want to support the initiatives that are being organised from our city, and particularly to call on you to contribute to the aid actions being promoted by the Associació d’Amics del Nepal (Friends of Nepal Association), an NGO that has been organising sponsorship, cooperation and solidarity projects within the country for the past 20 years.

We at the Gabinet Postal of Barcelona, in all consternation and humility, would like to add our voices to the thousands of messages of solidarity currently being sent to the people of Nepal. We plan to do so in a symbolic manner, by exhibiting the Nepalese stamps that form part of the Marull Collection, and which were issued during the reign of the Rana dynasty (1881 – 1907).