Islamic Relief has launched an emergency appeal to get aid to survivors of the Nepal floods, with the death toll rising to 579 and nearly 2,000 people still missing.
Iccharam Thapa Magar, Project Coordinator with Islamic Relief in Nepal, has been in villages in Nuwakot district today. He describes what he’s seen:
“The devastation is unimaginable. I saw entire communities that have been washed away. There are many dead bodies under the debris and the smell is horrific.
“A new barrier lake has formed and people are terrified of further floods if it bursts, so in many villages I saw chaos as people run around trying to get to higher places and find safety for their children.
“Some children are still stranded on the wrong side of the river, as they crossed the bridge to go to school but can’t return as the bridges have been washed away. They’re on their own and separated from their family.
“Many people are still missing and their relatives are frantically searching for any news of them. People are traumatised from the ferocity of the disaster.
“Large areas are still inaccessible as roads and bridges are damaged, hydropower networks are disrupted, and there is debris across the roads. I was able to visit some parts of Nuwakot district but much of Ruwasa district is still completely inaccessible.
“I was an aid worker during the 2015 Nepal earthquake, which killed almost 9,000 people. The death toll was higher then, but the impact now feels even wider. People haven’t only lost their homes, they’ve lost absolutely everything.
“Most people in this region depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, growing crops like maize and millet or rearing livestock. But it’s all been washed away. Schools have also been destroyed, leaving thousands of children in need of support to continue their education.
“Right now people told me they most urgently need emergency shelter and cooking utensils to replace what they’ve lost, but they will also need long term support to recover and rebuild.”
Islamic Relief is appealing for funds to provide emergency aid and long-term support, in coordination with local and national authorities in Nepal.
Islamic Relief has worked in Nepal since 2015 when it responded to the Gorkha earthquake. Last year the charity worked with local partner organisations to support over 113,000 people in Nepal, through projects providing education, safe water and helping communities adapt to climate change and more frequent disasters.
