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UN comes to the rescue of flood victims

The United Nations has launched rescue and relief efforts to help the victims of flood in the country.

"The United Nations System in Nepal has responded rapidly to the national crisis caused by flooding across Nepal, and the request of the Government of Nepal for assistance," said a statement issued by UN Information Center.

"OCHA has been engaging with the Government, NRCS (Nepal Red Cross Society), Nepal Army, Police, UN agencies and I/NGOs, and supporting coordination structures at all levels, for a coordinated response. In terms of information management, at the regional level, OCHA has facilitated inter-agency assessments of affected areas. At the central level, OCHA hosts a dedicated section on floods and landslides on the Nepal Information Platform ( www.un.org.np) where all relevant reports and meeting minutes are uploaded," states the statement.

It adds that the UNFPA has provided food and non-food items to 1,000 flood victims in Mahottari, including medical support to the district hospital and jail. UNFPA's mobile health teams in Dang and Kapilvastu are on alert to go to Banke and Bardiya upon request.

Likewise, UNICEF has provided emergency supplies, which include water purification tablets as well as flocculent powder to purify water for some 30,000 people in the flood and landslide affected areas in Banke, Bardiya, Dhanusha, Mahottari and Rautahat, and to the landslide affected hilly districts in the Karnali Zone. Also, 6,000 packets of oral rehydration salts have been dispatched to these districts through the NRCS and other partners to address the onset of diarrhoea and dysentery that may arise due to water contamination. UNICEF has also provided non-food items such as tarpaulins, water buckets and blankets for the flood-hit areas from its stock of pre-positioned relief supplies in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj.

The UNMIN has responded to the Government request to make its helicopters available, and with financial support from UNDP has flown rescue teams including members of the Nepal Army, police, Red Cross, government officials and UN agencies for evacuation, relief and assessment operations. UNDP is also coordinating with the private sector to facilitate contributions to the overall response.

On the other hand, WFP is ready to immediately respond with humanitarian food assistance for people displaced by flooding across the Terai if the Government requests such assistance.

The WHO, along with the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of the Department of Health, are conducting rapid health assessments, introducing post-emergency disease surveillance and requesting members of the Emergency Health and Nutrition Working Group to assist in data collection. Medical supplies have been pre-positioned and new requests are being processed following health assessments.

"The UN System in Nepal stands fully committed to extend all possible assistance to the people of the affected districts who are suffering from the current natural calamity," said Matthew Kahane, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal. nepalnews.com sd Jul 31 07