Nepal is almost synonymous with natural disasters. And UN agencies in the country are not taking chances. UN Nepal this week launched the UN Disaster Response Preparedness Plan on the occasion of 56th anniversary of the international body. The three-part plan seeks to ensure that in the event of a major disaster the UN and its partners will be able to provide effective and timely assistance to its staff and their dependants, and other affected people. The UN has also established an Emergency Operation Centre, designed to withstand earthquake tremors of up to 8.5 on the Richter scale. They have reason to. Studies estimate that an earthquake on the magnitude of 8.3 could kill over 40,000, injure more than 90,000, and destroy about 60 percent of the buildings in the Valley. That's not all. It would leave about 700,000 people homeless, more than 50 percent of bridges impassable, damage more than 95 percent of water supply pipes, and leave 60 percent of telephone lines out of order. To get the message across to attending guests and dignitaries, including Prime Minster Deuba, the theatre group Aarohan put up a hilarious street play.