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Highlights
Torrential monsoon rains and flooding across Bhutan affected 125 households. Four deaths (including one child) were confirmed by authorities.
Providing immediate relief assistance to affected communities and ensuring safety for people in high risk areas remain priorities of the Government of Bhutan.
On 29 July, the Government briefed development partners on the ongoing flood response.
No additional international support has been requested for the immediate response. Assistance may be required to facilitate early recovery and rehabilitation based on the result of damage assessments.
Situation Overview
On 29 July, the Cabinet Secretary, the Secretary of the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, and the Director of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) briefed development partners on the ongoing flood response.
The Government confirmed that since the heavy rainfall began on 18 July, floods across the country affected 125 households and killed four people (including a child and an Indian national working on road construction), and injured one.
The Government reported the locations of the affected households as follows: 63 in Sarpang Market (21 of which have been relocated); 16 in Gelephu (two of which have been relocated); 17 in Phuentsoling; 25 in Punakha; and the remainder in other locations.
Priority of the local response is on the immediate provision of relief to the affected communities and to ensure safety of people in high risk areas. The Government also reported that the volume of water in the rivers had receded; monitoring of water levels and weather will continue, including through the early warning systems in the three river basins.
Efforts continue to restore critical road networks. Many highways and farm roads are back to normal, as water has receded and landslides have been cleared. Rainfall on Friday, however, constrained repair of the Kamji Bailey Bridge on the Thimphu-Phuentsholing Highway.
Local media reported that construction materials worth BTN 500 million (about US$ 7.46 million) located at Bangay Bazaar in Phuentsholing were submerged or washed away by the flood.
While no international support has been requested for immediate humanitarian assistance, authorities indicated that early recovery and rehabilitation assistance may be required. Periodic updates on the situation will be provided by authorities and will be made available on the DDM website (http://www.ddm.gov.bt/).
Joint briefings between the Government and the Development Partners Group will be convened as the situation requires.