Attachments
SITUATION OVERVIEW
In August 2017, Nepal experienced a period of sustained, heavy rainfall causing widespread flooding across half of the country's 77 districts. In total 1.7 million people were impacted with 460,000 people displaced. Large scale Government-led search and rescue operations in August helped to avert major loss of life. Almost US$23 million was provided by external actors including US$4.8 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Such support helped to address immediate needs and promote recovery. The Terai, along Nepal’s southern border with India, was worst affected and the floods exacerbated the region’s pre-crisis vulnerabilities. The Government of Nepal assesses that economic damage and losses total nearly US$585 million with recovery needs at US$705 million.
CURRENT SITUATION
Almost all displaced persons have now returned to their homes although small pockets of displacement persist in provinces two and five where some flood affected families are still residing in temporary settlements. In late 2017 the Government of Nepal, through the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA), finalised a housing reconstruction programme which will target those households whose dwellings were partially damaged (150,00 houses) or destroyed (41,000 houses). The majority of households eligible for the NRA’s grant are yet to have received support. Recovery gaps also remain in the health, education and sanitation sectors with the region’s agricultural sector also facing recovery challenges. Overall, the humanitarian situation across the Terai is now improving although in some sectors, such as food security, it remains below the pre-flood context. Looking forward, the Government of Nepal through its ‘Post Flood Recovery Needs Assessment’ released in late 2017 has made a commitment to the promotion of resilient recovery across the Terai in order that individuals, households, communities and local economies are better able to withstand the impact of future disaster events