Aid workers are on high alert following the 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal yesterday.
The quake, which has killed dozens and injured hundreds more people, hit 82km east of the capital Kathmandu, near the town of Namche Bazaar, at the base of Mount Everest.
It happened less than a month after the devastating April 25 quake that left more than 8000 dead.
New Zealand Red Cross spokeswoman Hanna Butler said the five Red Cross aid workers from New Zealand in Nepal were safe but on high alert following the quake.
A statement released by the group said assessments of the damage had begun.
"Initial assessments by the Nepal Red Cross Society indicate that hundreds of homes have collapsed, many of which had already been damaged by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country two weeks ago.
"Regions already struggling to cope with the effects of the earlier earthquake were hit hard."
Head of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Asia Pacific, Martin Faller, said the combination of rain and aftershocks were making the task of providing and distributing aid challenging.
"Today's earthquake has dealt a double blow to many of the same people who were hit by the 25 April quake.
"More people will now be in need of emergency shelter but they will also need support dealing with the trauma they have experienced," he said. "People are very scared."
A UNICEF New Zealand spokesperson, Patrick Rose, said the sleeping arrangements for many in Nepal had moved back outside.
"The quake yesterday has opened the wound and trauma for thousands of children in Nepal. UNICEF is working hard to distribute tarps and shelter. UNICEF has set up medical tents, child friendly spaces and continues to work closely with the government to deliver clean water and other aid."
Cecilia Keizer, Oxfam's country director in Nepal, described the situation as a "double disaster".
"This disaster [has left] many of the survivors of the first earthquake shocked and fearful of further tremors. Our teams in the quake areas reported that buildings collapsed and landslides have blocked the roads," she said.
MFAT trying to contact NZers
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have said they are in the process of contacting New Zealanders in Nepal but are facing difficulties with communication lines.
A ministry spokesperson said communication was an issue. "Communications remain intermittent in Nepal, and operating conditions are difficult. It may be some time before all New Zealanders can be contacted."
The ministry is working with its High Commission in New Delhi to ascertain whether any New Zealanders have been affected.
There are 45 New Zealanders currently registered on Safe Travel as being in Nepal.
