Nepal: Floods - Aug 2006

This report covers the period 01/01/06 to 31/12/07 of a two-year planning and appeal process.

In brief

Programme summary:

**CONTENTS **

• An Introduction of Department of Water Induced Disaster Prevention (DWIDP)

• A Brief View of the Features of Nepal

• Water Induced Disasters of the Year 2006

• Summary and Comparison of All types of Disasters As well As Water Induced Disasters of 2006 with the Previous Years'
Disasters in Nepal

• Ranking of Water Induced Disaster Affected Districts in 2006

• Nepal Red Cross Society in Disaster Management

• The Year 2006, a Dry Year

Introduction:

In 2006, ActionAid Nepal implemented an emergency response to assist the communities affected by floods in western Nepal.

Issue No. 7 / September

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE (DCHA)

Summer usually tests the disaster response capacity of Nepal, when the monsoons trigger water induced disasters. This year Western regions were most severely affected by floods and landslides. Unlike in 2002 and 2004, where a large number of families were displaced, the figures for this year were much less, totalling about 1,300 displaced families. The attention and prompt response by several agencies bear witness to the increased recognision of disaster management in Nepal.

(This Report is produced regarding the food and nonfood items, which fall under the Responsibility of the NRCS. It does not cover the details of health, education and others.)

Situation Summary:

While most of the text in this situation report remains the same as of the last update, 21st Sept 2006; the data has been updated as per the progress achieved.

NRCS intends to complete the distribution (food and non food) by 28th September.

Following the floods and landslides, the disaster preparedness and response networks in Banke and Bardiya comprising of Government, UN …

Hundreds of Nepalese families victimized by heavy monsoon rains at the end of August are currently receiving emergency aid thanks to the coordinated actions of Plan, the Nepal Red Cross Society, Nepal's Government and several other non-governmental organizations.

* Please Note: No deaths of sponsored children or family members have been reported.

Heavy monsoon rains from 26 August to 28 August 2006 caused massive flooding in the mid and far western regions of Nepal. Among the most affected districts are those of Bardia and Banke-both districts where Plan Nepal works.

(This Report is produced regarding the food and nonfood items, which fall under the Responsibility of the NRCS. It does not cover the details of health, education and others.)

Situation Summary:

Following the floods and landslides, the disaster preparedness and response networks in Banke and Bardiya comprising of Government, UN Organizations, Red Cross and other I/NGOs have been working together. Resources are properly managed and efforts are concerted.

ActionAid emergencies programmatic work has had a strong focus on floods during the lastfewmonths. We are responding to the floods in Ethiopia, Nepaland Indiawith emergency response programmes deliveringfood, medicines, utensils, shelter and school materials in the areas where we work.

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia the floods are still ongoing and affecting 7 of the9 regions in the country. The number of affected people has risen to 363,658; 145,048 of them have been displaced.

By Hari Adhikari, Nepal Red Cross Society

Life appears to have returned to normal in the cities of Banke and Bardiya, and their citizens hurry about carrying on with the business of day-to-day living. However, the district branches of the Nepal Red Cross Society are still inundated with survivors and representatives from government organizations and NGOs.

Heavy rains during the last week of August caused floods and landslides in 15 districts in western Nepal, affecting more than 50,000 people.

The districts of Bajura, Baitadi, Nawalparasi, Banke, Bardiya and Achham in the West and the area next to the Karnali River were particularly affected.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that the floods have killed around 50 people, nearly 2,000 animals and destroyed more than 10,000 metric tonnes of food.

Crops and houses have been destroyed and diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and typhoid are …

(New York: 14 September 2006): The United Nations agencies, together with their non-governmental partners and the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), are providing assistance to families affected by the floods and landslides that have hit Nepal this year.

According to the NRCS, more than 45,000 persons have received relief assistance to date. The World Food Programme (WFP) expects to deliver a total of 1,300 metric tonnes of rice, lentils, salt and oil to those affected in the country's western regions.

Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2006/0188

OCHA Situation Report No. 7

Kathmandu, 12 September 2006 - As part of a major operation to feed tens of thousands of flood survivors in Nepal, WFP has fed an estimated 8,150 people in the western Banke District.

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

CHITWAN, 12 September (IRIN) - Nine people have died as a result of floods and landslides in the remote western districts of Chitwan and Tanahu as heavy rains continue to cause destruction in the region, the Nepal Red Cross (NRC) said on Tuesday.

The NRC said that all six members of a single family were killed when landslide destroyed their house in Risi Ranipokhari village in Tanahu, 200km west of the capital, Kathmandu.

Since 24 August, incessant rainfall in the west of Nepal has caused heavy landslides …

Kathmandu_(dpa) _ International donors pledged about 190 million dollars in grant aid to Nepal after King Gyanendra relinquished power in late April, a Nepalese Finance Ministry official said Tuesday.

"One of the largest-ever grant assistance to Nepal came from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to undertake road projects," Finance Ministry spokesman Deep Basnet said.

Nepal and the ADB signed an agreement Monday under which the ADB agreed to provide Nepal with a grant assistance of 4,120 million Nepalese rupees (about 55.2 million dollars).

Basnet said the deal was first …

Kathmandu, September 11: Six more people died in three districts of southern Nepal due to the floods and landslides caused by incessant rains during the last few days.

Four people died in Tanahun, whereas one each died in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts. With this the death toll following the rains on Friday has reached 13.

Meanwhile, some thirty houses have been swept away by floods in Kabilas VDC alone Chitwan district and 79 families have been displaced, in search of safe place.

Kathamandu, 11 September 2006 - WFP this week began feeding survivors of recent flooding in the southwestern Terai region of Nepal -- nearly 80,000 people affected by extensive flooding believed to be cut off from regular access to food and shelter.

"Over the weekend the country was again pounded by heavy rainfall, but we've been able to get enough food out to feed nearly 50,000 people for seven days," said Richard Ragan, WFP's Country Director for Nepal.

Each week, the World Health Organization Department for Health Action in Crises in Geneva produces information highlights on the health aspects of selected humanitarian crises. Drawing on the various WHO programmes, contributions cover activities from field and country offices and the support provided by WHO regional offices and Headquarters.