August 28, 2017
In the light of the flood situation in Nepal, the Office of UN Resident Coordinator Nepal has released a report titled ‘Flooding Response Plan (August 2017-February 2018)’, wherein, it sought global attention for supporting flood victims.
Under the plan, the Office aims at offering humanitarian assistance to around 1.7 million victims hit by the recent floods across 35 districts of the country.
As part of relief measures, the Office informed that the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) is seeking USD 41.4 million to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to support the flood victims over the coming six months, under various sectors including Health, Nutrition, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Food Security, Protection, Shelter, Livelihood, Education and Early Recovery.
The Office, in its Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) conducted across 28 districts, concluded that 1.7 million population was affected by the flooding in Nepal, with almost 65,000 houses destroyed, 460,000 people displaced, an estimated 19,000 people currently residing in informal displacements sites including schools and some 40 communities remaining inaccessible.
The recent floods have badly hit the country’s critical infrastructure, said the report, informing that around 80 schools across 28 districts (710 damaged) and 10 health posts (64 partially damaged) were destroyed. Around 64,000 hectares of standing crops have also been destroyed in the 10 worst-affected districts of the country.
According to the report, this situation will affect communities’ livelihood and compromise food security, as food stocks have also been destroyed.
In terms of public health, the report informed that nutrition needs have increased since the onset of flooding with the average rate of global acute malnutrition (GAM) now beyond critical levels.
This situation will likely deteriorate further amongst children under five and pregnant and breastfeeding women without emergency measures, it added.
According to the report, the governmental efforts including deployment of 27,000 security personnel and civil servants for measures and providing more than USD 11.3 million fund assistance could not completely suffice the humanitarian needs caused by the crisis.
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