6 days ago

Nepal Red Cross Leads Relief After Devastating Flash Floods

Nepal Red Cross Leads Relief After Devastating Flash Floods
Most painful was to see rescued mothers asking about their children—Nepal Red Cross chief · theprint.in

Flash floods badly damaged several areas of Nepal.

Many people lost their homes, belongings, and family members.

The Nepal Red Cross brought food, water, blankets, mats, and temporary shelter supplies.

Workers helped move more than 2,000 people to safer places in Nuwakot.

More than 1,000 volunteers joined rescue and relief work in four districts.

Some mothers were separated from their children and asked for help finding them.

The Red Cross also helped families contact missing relatives.

It says rebuilding homes, schools, hospitals, and livelihoods will take a long time.

Key facts

Initial response
Bishal Kumar Bhandari and Nepal Red Cross responders left Kathmandu about one hour after learning of the floods.
People assisted
More than 2,000 rescued and evacuated people were attended to in Nuwakot during the first two days.
Volunteers
More than 1,000 volunteers were mobilized across the country.
Relief supplies
By 30 August, the Red Cross had distributed over 6,000 hygiene kits, 2,000 mattresses, 2,000 tarpaulins, and 2,000 blankets.
International assistance
The International Federation of Red Cross sent 1 million Swiss francs in assistance.
Public appeal
The Nepal Red Cross appealed for an additional 25 million for relief and recovery work.
Recovery timeline
Plans cover 45–60 days of relief, three to six months of recovery, and almost two years of reconstruction.

Quotes

Bishal Kumar Bhandari

Chairperson of the Nepal Red Cross Society and a flood-response volunteer

“I met mothers in Nuwakot who were desperate to reach their children – they were stranded on the other side of the Trishuli River. They kept asking me, ‘My children are alone. Can you somehow get us there? But I had no way to get them to their children. I didn’t know what to say.”
theprint.in
“It was like the world had paused for them – the people; their faces were vacant. The area was quiet, completely covered in mud. No one knew what to do or how to even begin rescuing people.”
theprint.in

Sources

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