WASHINGTON, DC — THE death toll from devastating flash floods in Nepal has surpassed 500, as rescue and humanitarian teams continue working to reach communities cut off by damaged roads and landslides.
Officials in Nepal confirmed Friday (Aug. 29) that more than 500 people have died, while hundreds remain missing and 3,700 people have so far been rescued.
The United Nations says humanitarian agencies are moving quickly to provide emergency assistance as the scale of the disaster becomes clearer.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said Friday, that the priority remains saving lives and delivering urgent assistance to those affected.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), together with the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations, is working alongside Nepalese authorities to respond to the crisis.
UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal Lila Pieters Yahia is leading the UN's support for the government-led response.
Earlier Friday, Pieters Yahia and other UN officials visited Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot, one of the districts badly affected by the flooding.
The team saw widespread destruction, with preliminary assessments indicating that about 11,000 hectares of land and 45 kilometres of roads have been damaged.
The visit was cut short after a new flood alert was issued while the team was in the area, underscoring the continuing danger facing residents and relief workers.
In Nuwakot, more than 1,000 people are currently sheltering at five known displacement sites. However, the UN says those figures are preliminary as teams work to identify and account for displaced people in other communities and districts.
Access remains a major challenge, with damaged roads and landslides blocking routes into some affected areas.
Humanitarian agencies are now getting a clearer picture of the scale of the needs.
Food security partners estimate that at least 20,000 households across Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts could require food assistance.
More than 50,000 people are also expected to need emergency water, sanitation and hygiene support.
Nutrition partners estimate that about 17,000 children, 1,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and 9,000 adolescents require immediate nutritional assistance.
At least 23 schools in the two districts are also expected to require rehabilitation.
The UN and its humanitarian partners are working with Nepalese authorities to scale up the distribution of food, shelter, medical supplies and other essential assistance.
Fletcher said he remains in close contact with humanitarian teams in the region and with Chinese and Nepalese authorities.
He also reaffirmed the UN's readiness to support relief operations in China should assistance be requested there.
Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are warning that the threat is far from over, with additional flooding and landslides possible as rescue and relief operations continue
