Attachments
SIMPLIFIED EARLY ACTION PROTOCOL
Summary of revisions to the operation
The latest episode of monsoon rain started on 26 September and lasted for three days. One week earlier, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issued an alert, warning that many parts of the country would experience heavy rains resulting in water-induced disasters.
In response to this alert, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) activated its Simplified Early Action Protocol (sEAP), which was technically led by the IFRC/Danish Red Cross. This activation followed a decision made during an advisory committee meeting, comprising NRCS and IFRC representatives, on 26 September 2024. The sEAP was triggered to support communities living in the Babai and West Rapti river basins in the western part of the country.
As part of the early actions, 102 NRCS volunteers (72 in Bardiya and 40 in Banke) informed local communities about the potential flooding and helped them prepare for evacuation. Volunteers also arranged shelters at preidentified evacuation sites, ensuring that relief items and transport vehicles were kept on standby. Through these efforts, a total of 3,600 people received early warning messages under Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) initiatives. However, no additional early action activities were carried out in the targeted communities.
Unexpectedly, heavy rainfall was recorded in the Kathmandu Valley and nearby eastern areas, which were outside the sEAP-targeted western regions. During 26 to 30 September, very little rainfall was recorded in the sEAP target area. Consequently, the sEAP was de-escalated on 28 September after being active for 48 hours.
Despite the de-escalation, the communities remain prepared. Volunteers are on standby, and prepositioned stock is available in case similar actions are required in the coming weeks or months. The sEAP will remain active until the next trigger, which is valid until May 2026.
As part of readiness measures, NRCS conducted five drill and simulation exercise events in Kailali (two events) and Banke (three events) districts. Additionally, in July 2024, NRCS completed the mapping of evacuation centres in Kailali, Banke, and Bardiya, identifying 17 functional centres (six in Banke, eight in Bardiya, and three in Kailali) that can be used in case of an emergency. Furthermore, forecast monitoring teams in each district continued to monitor weather conditions throughout the monsoon period (June to October 2024).
Looking ahead, the NRCS is preparing for a virtual lessons-learned workshop scheduled for December 2024 to assess the effectiveness of these actions and identify areas for improvement.