Friday 19th April 2024
August 16, 2017
As part of relief measures being provided to #NepalFloods2017, various NGOs, private organizations and government bodies, among others came forward to extend their support to the flood victims.
The Nepal Government ramped up its relief measures, authorities distributed food and water packets through helicopters across the worst-hit southern districts and security forces helped those stuck in waters by taking them to rooftops.
The staff of the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) and its affiliated bodies yesterday announced around Rs 12 million contribution for the rescue and relief works. The amount collected will be deposited in the PM’s Disaster Relief fund (PMRF).
Nepal Students Union (NSU) Lamjung has been running a fund-collection campaign since August 14, 2017 and has collected Rs 48,089 till yesterday. NSU Lamjung leader Deepak Adhikari called on locals to support the flood victims of Tarai.
The Nepali Congress (NC) Committee has also decided to donate a month’s salary of its lawmakers to the flood victims. NC has around 207 lawmakers each earning Rs 100,000 per month.
The Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) also extended its support by announcing Rs 10 million (including donations from its members and other organizations) in donation, of which, Nepal Young Entrepreneurs Forum donated Rs 1.5 million.
Jhapa-based Nepal Red Cross Society distributed food, water and other materials to almost 800 flood-hit victims of the region. District Chamber of Commerce, Nepal Jaycees and Electricity Entrepreneur Association are among others who participated in relief measures.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) released a notification yesterday prohibiting NGOs and organizations from collecting funds individually in the name of relief measures and directed to go with PMRF if anyone is willing to fund.
Special Relief Fund
In a special meeting, the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) International Coordination Council decided to arrange a special fund to support the flood victims. NRNA President Shesh Ghale and his wife Jamuna Ghale announced Rs 10 million to the relief fund. Ghale also informed that they would meet the victims soon to distribute various relief materials.
Health Experts Warn Disease Threat
According to Nepali health officials, hundreds of flood-hit victims are suffering from various infections because of contaminated drinking water and polluted environment caused by the floods. Fever, diarrheal diseases, conjunctivitis, gastritis and skin-related infections were the major issues seen in common among the victims.
According to District Public Health Office (DPHO) of Banke, hundreds of locals across Kamaiya Danda in Rapti Sonari-6, Tikulipur, Balapur, Phattepur, Baijapur and Kachanapur, are facing similar issues.
“Many have fallen sick after drinking contaminated water. We have dispatched health workers in all the flood-affected areas in the district,” said Khim Bahadur Khadka, senior officer at DPHO Banke.
Locals of Saptari, one of the most-affected regions, are facing serious health challenges. “We have been out on the road without food and clean drinking water for four days. Many of the elderly, expectant and postpartum mothers and children have fallen ill,” said Budhan Mukhiya of Hanumannagar Kulauni.
Despite this situation, victims across Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, Dudawa, among others failed to undergo necessary treatment as the floods inundated local primary healthcare centers.
Floods Hit Other Parts of South Asia
While the death toll due to floods reached around 245 across various parts of South Asia (parts of northern India, southern Nepal and Bangladesh), Nepal alone registered 120 cases with tens of thousands displaced and hundreds of villages flooded.
Across the Nepal border, around 41 in Bihar (India), 46 in Himachal Pradesh (India), 21 in Assam (India) and 27 in Bangladesh lost their lives in the disaster and more than 10 lakh people found shelter in over 1000 government-arranged relief camps.
According to the state-run Flood Forecasting and Warning Center, around 18 Bangladeshi rivers were heavily flooded and flowing at high-risk levels.
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