KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 5
The United Nations and humanitarian partners on Friday launched a US$49.6 million emergency appeal to provide life-saving assistance to more than 84,000 people affected by the devastating flash floods and landslides in northern Nepal.
The four-month response plan, led under the overall coordination of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, aims to address critical humanitarian needs and prevent further hardship and disease outbreaks as winter approaches in high-altitude Himalayan communities.
The floods and landslides triggered on August 26 have killed more than 1,250 people and left thousands missing, while displacing communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, according to the UN.
The disaster has destroyed homes and livelihoods and severely damaged transport, electricity, water supply and sanitation infrastructure, leaving several communities isolated and without basic necessities.
The joint response will provide cash assistance to affected families where local markets remain functional, along with cold-weather shelter materials and portable solar units for households in areas without electricity.
Humanitarian agencies will also repair damaged water networks, deploy water-purification systems and distribute hygiene supplies to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases.
Emergency mobile clinics will provide medical and nutrition services, while protection teams will work to reunite children separated from their families. The response will also include emergency food assistance and support for surviving livestock to help protect rural livelihoods.
"Families have lost everything: their loved ones, their homes, their livelihoods, swept away in minutes," said Lila Pieters Yahia, UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal.
She said the appeal would provide cash, shelter, healthcare, clean water and protection to hard-to-reach communities before winter sets in.
The UN said its humanitarian response would complement the ongoing emergency operations led by the Nepal government.