Deadly floods continue to blight west

Nine people have died as a result of floods and landslides in the remote western districts of Chitwan and Tanahu as heavy rains continue to cause destruction in the region, the Nepal Red Cross (NRC) said on Tuesday.

The NRC said that all six members of a single family were killed when landslide destroyed their house in Risi Ranipokhari village in Tanahu, 200km west of the capital, Kathmandu.

Since 24 August, incessant rainfall in the west of Nepal has caused heavy landslides in the hill areas, and floods in the southern plains. Nearly 60 people have died while over 10,000 mt of vital grain have been destroyed, affecting over 50,000 households, NRC said.

The most affected among the 14 districts were Bajura, Baitadi, Nawalparasi, Banke, Bardiya and Achham, all of which are located in remote areas, over 500 to 800 km from the capital.

“Fortunately, there is now more relief support than last week due to the coordinated efforts of the aid agencies and local NGOs,” said Rajendra Karki from NRC.

During the first two weeks of the disaster, between last August and early September, the flood victims complained they were not receiving enough food and medical supplies.

Initially NRC, which is the key organisation through which all aid agencies were providing support, had also fallen short of resources and manpower due to lack of funding from donor organisations.

“Now we have been able to receive enough support to distribute food and medicines among the victims,” said Karki.

Several groups, including six United Nations agencies and over 20 aid agencies, international and local NGOs, have been regularly providing support for the country’s relief efforts, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

“Over the weekend the country was again pounded by heavy rainfall, but we’ve been able to get enough food out to feed nearly 80,000 people for seven days,” said Richard Ragan, country director of the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).
Ragan said that WFP would be providing rice, oil, lentils and salt worth about US $500,000 to feed people over the next month, especially in the most affected areas.

In addition, the UN Family and Population Agency (UNFPA) has provided medical aid through mobile health camps, in particular for pregnant women and new mothers.

The Nepalese government said that it has also set up a ‘Prime Minister’s Relief Fund’ to provide immediate relief.

For the long-term rehabilitation and resettlement of flood victims who lost their houses and food stocks, aid agencies are planning to provide support following an assessment of damage to property, loss of crops and the impact on health.

The need for more food aid is likely to rise throughout the year, according to WFP, as important rice producing districts like Banke and Bardiya have lost their crops as a result of the flooding.

“If the government identifies the need for additional international support, we are prepared to help,” said Ragan from WFP.