UN Appeals For $50 Million To Support Nepal Flood Victims

The United Nations has appealed for nearly $50 million in emergency funding to support more than 84,000 people affected by catastrophic flooding in Nepal, warning that the approaching winter is adding urgency to relief efforts.

The appeal was made on Friday as communities continue to recover from the devastating August 26 floods along the China-Nepal border.

The disaster, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, has killed more than 1,300 people and left more than 5,600 others missing across Nepal and China.

“Time is against them,” the UN office in Nepal said.

“For those who survived, the flood has taken almost everything that made daily life possible,” it added.

The floods swept through several mountainous districts, destroying roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure and leaving many communities struggling to access essential assistance.

“UN Nepal and partners are appealing for nearly $50 million to deliver cash, food, shelter, clean water, healthcare and other life-saving assistance to the most devastated communities,” it said.

The UN also raised concerns about growing health risks in displacement centres and communities affected by the disaster.

“Health authorities are already watching fever and diarrhoea in displacement centres,” the UN appeal added.

“Human remains and thousands of dead livestock still lie in the debris, raising the risk of communicable disease outbreaks.”

Meanwhile, communities located close to the flood’s epicentre remain cut off, increasing the urgency of providing shelter and other basic necessities.

“Families whose homes are gone need durable shelter in weeks, not months,” the appeal said.

A preliminary UN assessment estimated that damage to buildings from the flooding in Nepal alone had reached $158 million.

The organisation warned that the overall economic impact would be considerably higher when losses involving roads, bridges, agricultural land and humanitarian operations are taken into account.

Nepal has indicated that the cost of rebuilding the affected areas could run into “billions” of dollars as authorities assess the scale of destruction caused by the floods.