GLIDE n=B0 FL-2008-000104-NPL
Period covered by this Operations Update: 15 October to 20 November
2008.
Appeal target (current): CHF
2.65 million (USD 2.33 million or EUR 1.73 million).
Appeal coverage: With contributions
received to date, in cash and kind, the appeal is approximately 73% covered.
Funds are urgently needed to enable
the national society to provide timely support to those affected by the
floods disaster.
Appeal history:
- The emergency appeal was launched on October 20 for CHF 2.6 million (USD 2.33 million or EUR 1.73 million) for 12 months to assist more than 20,000 families affected by the Saptakoshi River flood and the monsoon floods in the west and farwest of Nepal.
- A preliminary Emergency Appeal was launched on 29 August 2008 for CHF 1.39 million (USD 1.2 million or EUR 861,530) for nine months to assist more than 5,000 families affected by the Saptakoshi River flood.
- The disaster relief emergency fund (DREF): CHF 250,000 (USD 227,740 or EUR 154,700) was initially allocated on 28 August 2008 from the International Federation's DREF, to support the Nepal Red Cross Society in delivering immediate assistance.
Summary:
Due to the high water levels, the Saptakoshi river broke its weakened embankment on 18 August 2008 and flooded a densely populated region in the Sunsari district. Approximately 70,000 people have been displaced on both sides of the river (in Sunsari and Saptari districts), and the majority of them is in need of shelter for an estimated minimum of nine months, as the river changed its flow and the embankment needs to be repaired. Around 1,200 volunteers and trained staff members from the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) have been deployed for emergency assessments, registration of beneficiaries, distribution of prestored food and non-food items (including tarpaulins, blankets, kitchen sets and cloths), the delivery of emergency shelters and first aid services.
Only one month later, torrential rainfall, starting from 19 September 2008, on the western part of the country triggered flood and landslides affecting approximately 50,000 people in several districts. The report has stated that the disaster has claimed a total of 40 lives, several others sustained injuries and four people went missing. Mostly, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Bardeya districts were badly hit. The NRCS response to the floods in the west is similar to the Koshi River operation, however with a lesser focus on emergency shelter, as most people were able to return to their homes after the water level receded.
The NRCS has been working in cooperation with the Nepal government, the United Nations agencies, international non-governmental organizations and local organizations in the relief operation. The National Society has the lead implementation role in the distribution of non-food relief items and for the first time in emergency shelter in the Sunsari district. It is assisting food distributions in cooperation with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sunsari and the western part of the country.
The humanitarian coordinator formalized the cluster approach for Nepal in the course of the Koshi River flood and an International Federation coordination team has taken the lead in the emergency shelter cluster working closely with the NRCS.
During the past weeks, the displaced people of Sunsari, who were taking shelters in 28 shelter camps (i.e. schools, colleges and madrassas), have now been shifted into newly established shelter camps closer to their original homes. The NRCS headquarters has deployed four field officers to Sunsari and Saptari to coordinate the ongoing relief operation. The NRCS representatives are working together with the teams from the NRCS district chapter and the district authorities and have been supported by a short-term shelter delegate deployed by the International Federation's disaster management unit in Kuala Lumpur.
All relief materials, which were requested by the NRCS from the International Federation's regional warehouse in Kuala Lumpur have reached Nepal on time and are now being distributed. The relief is being provided in a coordinated way to assure the most vulnerable beneficiaries receive assistance and to avoid duplication. Upon request, logistics support was provided by the International Federation in the initial stage for the receipt and storage of goods in the NRCS warehouse in Biratnagar.
In addition, the NRCS district chapters have provided relief assistance in the western region for the floodaffected people. The NRCS has distributed food and non-food items to the affected families. Most of the displaced people who have been taking shelters in temporary shelters have now returned to their origin. The International Federation office in Nepal has been supporting the NRCS with fundraising, facilitation for technical support, policy decision making and representation towards and coordination with the international community.
Partner national societies who have contributed to the appeal so far include the American, Austrian, British, Canadian (from the Canadian government), Danish, Finnish, Japanese, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Swedish Red Cross Societies. In addition to the Red Cross family, USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Italian government and private donors have provided cash contributions. The International Federation, on behalf of NRCS, would like to thank all partners for their very quick and generous response to this appeal.