After heavy monsoon rains have caused devastating floods and landslides in Western Nepal last week, CARE is scaling up its emergency response for thousands of people affected. The floods have so far killed 123 people, 126 are still missing or feared to be dead and more than 50 injured.
“Many people have been displaced by the floods, losing their property and belongings in the process”, says Lex Kassenberg, Country Director of CARE Nepal.” In coordination with local authorities we are trying our best to provide those affected with initial emergency relief items. But it is already clear that recovery will take a long time. Many families have lost literally everything.”
In the first few days after the floods, CARE has supported around 1,400 people in Bardiya, Banke and Surkhet. As an initial response, CARE has provided cash for food assistance and non-food items like blankets, clothes and tents.
“Many families need to sleep outdoors and are exposed to rain, heat, cold and mosquitoes. There is no privacy at the moment”, says Kassenberg.
The devastation is evident; many houses are fully or partially damaged and destroyed. People are in need of food and household items along with temporary shelter materials. “The floods have broken many bridges and several roads are still blocked by fallen trees, but at least they are partly open for traffic to access hard-to-reach communities. CARE will scale up its response to reach a total of 15,300 people”, explains Kassenberg.
CARE is scaling up its response to support more than 3,000 severely affected households with sanitary cloths, soap, underwear and warm clothes for newborns. Kassenberg adds: “Arriving at the CARE field office near the affected area, the engagement and dedication of the local staff stands out. A new concern we observed is the clear trauma that people have been suffering. The challenges we have ahead of us to help these people are huge.”
For further information, please contact:
Holly Frew: +1.770.842.6188 | hfrew@care.org
About CARE:
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. To learn more, visit www.care.org.