This report is produced by OCHA Humanitarian Support Unit, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator’s Office in collaboration with humanitarian partners.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

• Around 1000 families displaced, one child killed and four people injured in a fire incident in Siraha district,

• DDRC and other humanitarian partners are heavily involved in the relief and response;

• The Prime Minister visited the affected area this afternoon.

II. Situation Overview

An accidental fire broke out in Aurahi Village Development Committee (VDC) of Siraha district around noon of 15 May 2012 and some 1000 families have been displaced by this incident. Five wards of Aurahi VDC (ward number 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7) are worst hit by the incident.

The detail of the damage is yet to be ascertained as the damage assessment is ongoing. Children, pregnant women, the elderly are the most vulnerable as they are now sheltering in the surrounding community with host families and some of them are in the open. Four people are seriously injured and one two-month old child has been killed during the incident.

III. Humanitarian Needs and Response

Security Forces (Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force), NRCS volunteer and local communities have been mobilized to douse the fire. People from the neighboring communities are supporting the security forces to douse the fire as well as fire brigades from Lahan, Rajbiraj and Janakpur are also involved.

According to the National Emergency Operating Center (NEOC), DDRC is conducting a rapid assessment with the help of local humanitarian partners. The report will be come up by this evening and will be tabled to the Central Natural Disaster Relief Committee (CNDRC) for further action. The Prime Minister visited the affected area this afternoon and committed to support NRs. 31,000 per displaced family. The Chief District Officer (CDO), chair of the District Disaster Response Committee (DDRC) and NRCS president are in the affected area throughout the day and leading the rescue and response activities in the field.

Marawari Sewa Samiti Siraha, Federation of Nepal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) are distributing food and clothes to the affected people. NRCS and Save the Children are providing Non Food Items (NFI) including tarpaulins which will be used as temporary shelter. UNFCO, UNICEF and, WFP have personnel on the ground to support the DDRC.

NRCS is distributing NFIs to the affected families and Save the Children and ICRC have assured to support the NFI sets to the affected families. Local NGOs and other communities are also supporting the affected population.

In the mean time, the DDRC met this morning and decided to provide immediate relief support to the fire affected families. Families who lost their family member will get NRs 25,000 and the rest of the affected families will get NRs 5000 as immediate support.