The association has appealed for cash and sleeping materials as Nepalese students struggle to come to terms with the destruction caused by Saturday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

Association president Sunita Shrestha said many people including her mother, father and teenage brother in the capital Kathmandu were living in fear of further aftershocks.

"They are living outside their home at the moment, in an open field," she said.

"Luckily my home is safe, but a lot of people have lost their home in my community and they are running out of food and water, so it's pretty tragic at the moment.

"Everyone's pretty sad and devastated ... all of our families have been affected."

The 21-year-old, who has been doing a bachelor of international studies degree at UOW for the past 2½ years, said 25 to 30 people were in touch with the association. There were just over 100 Nepalese students at the university, she said.

On Tuesday, some made posters for the fundraising appeal, to be held outside the UOW library on Wednesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm.

"Basically, we are asking for tents, sleeping bags and mats, [they are] really needed the most in Nepal right now, because almost everyone is living under the sky [and] leaving their home because of the constant aftershocks," Ms Shrestha said.

Initially, she didn't think the appeal would happen so quickly.

"I thought I would think about it next week or the week later because of the mental trauma we've been going through at the moment, but the uni has been really supportive," she said.

UOW has offered counselling and academic consideration to students affected by the tragedy.

The university has confirmed Renu Fotedar, who was killed in the quake, completed her master of business administration at UOW's Dubai campus in 2000.