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Unseasonal rains impede access by road to most-remote areas in Nepal

Countries
Nepal
Sources
OCHA
+ 1 more
Publication date

Highlights

  • On 10 May, heavy rain and hail caused significant flooding in and around Chautara, affecting people who lost their homes living in tents.

  • Stockpiling and pre-positioning of relief items in remote areas is critical. Continued rains are likely to further hamper access by road to the most-remote Village Development Committees.

  • Families who need to demolish their homes should report the estimated costs to the concerned subnational authorities in order to be considered for Government support.

  • As of 10 May, the Government has released a total of 2.84 billion Nepalese Rupees (approximately US$ 21 million) to support relief operations in the affected districts.

$423 million requested in revised Flash Appeal
10% funded
2.8 billion Nepalese Rupees released by Government to affected districts
731,000+ people reached with food distributions in 11 districts

Situation Overview

Humanitarian hubs in Gorkha and Sindhupalchowk districts report that there are still urgent needs in remote and mountainous areas where access remains difficult and continues to impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The Ministry of Home Affairs has requested organizations responding in the field to liaise with the District Disaster Relief Committees (DDRCs) to optimize resources and ensure that relief reaches vulnerable groups in remote communities in an equitable manner.

As of 9 May, 330 humanitarian agencies are implementing some 2,200 humanitarian activities. To inform the planning and coordination of relief and early recovery in support of Government efforts, operational information are being consolidated from partners on the ground into a 4W to illustrate who is doing what, where and when.

On 10 May, a district authority-led rapid multi-sectoral assessment started across all Village Development Committees (VDC) in Sindhupalchowk to generate a harmonized set of basic data for all clusters at the VDC levels.

Cluster-specific assessments will complement the rapid multi-sectoral assessment.

Heavy rain and hail on 10 May caused significant flooding in the Chautara area affecting people without homes now living in temporary shelters.

Unseasonal rains continue to further impede access by road to the most-remote VDCs. Forward planning is also required to reflect the impending challenges that the monsoon season will bring. Humanitarian partners in the field stress the urgency of stockpiling in remote areas to ensure access to life-saving relief items over the upcoming months.

In Gorkha District, there are reports of people temporarily moving from settlements to central distribution points, such as Baluwa. Communities started rebuilding homes with available wood, mud, stones and corrugated iron sheets. They are requesting additional quality shelter equipment.

Homes beyond repair or deemed unsafe, need to be demolished and debris cleared urgently but time limitations may not allow for this before the monsoon starts.

On 8 May, the Government announced relief support for people whose homes were destroyed or need to be demolished. People should submit the estimated costs to their relevant sub-national authorities prior to demolition.

As of 10 May, a total of 2.84 billion NPRs (approximately US$ 21 million) were released by the Government of Nepal to affected districts for relief support, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.