By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Monday said that the confirmed death toll from Nepal’s catastrophic floods has surged to 903, with over 4,200 still missing as rescue crews and humanitarian workers battle blocked highways to reach the hardest-hit areas.,
The recent flash flooding is Nepal’s deadliest natural disaster since the April 2015 earthquake that killed around 9,000 people.
UN stated that 65,000 people require emergency water, sanitation and hygiene, UN stated
Some 10,000 people have been rescued including 252 foreign nationals
UN agencies said that the flooding was triggered by a glacier collapse and landslide on Nepal’s border with China.
Mr. Dujarric said as search and rescue efforts continue, UN agencies have begun to assess long-term needs, including more than 22,000 children needing protection.
According to the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA access remains the single biggest obstacle to the response.
It said that roads are passable only as far as Nuwakot, and some sections of highway linked Kathmandu to the hardest-hit areas remain completely blocked. Power has been restored in some areas.
Mr. Dujarric said Nepal’s Government has deployed over 20,000 search and rescue personnel and declared a flood emergency in 15 municipalities.
Over 10,000 people have been rescued including 252 foreign nationals.
World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jašarević said overcrowding and disruption to water, sanitation and health services raise the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
OCHA assessments noted critical humanitarian needs, including about 2,600 children under five expected to require treatment for severe wasting or acute malnutrition and 10,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women needing nutrition assistance.
OCHA reported 19 schools have been damaged, 9 completely destroyed and eight more being used to shelter displaced families while more than 10,000 school-age children require psychosocial support.
According to Mr. Dujarric the preliminary reports indicated that 107 children may be separated from their parents or caregivers, leaving first responders to prioritize family tracing and reunification.
The head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Kamal Kishore, highlighted the unprecedented nature of the glacier collapse and warned last week that “we are still coming to grips with the extent of the damage.”
The disaster has also affected the Tibet side of the border, where Chinese authorities report at least 16 dead and at least 546 still missing.
UN climate head Simon Stiell said the disaster served as a reminder of how fragile mountain environments have become, noting that scientists and local communities have warned for years about the risks of climate change in the area.
“We also know a warming climate, driven by humanity burning colossal amounts of coal, oil and gas, is making tragedies like this one, and so many others around the world, much more likely, frequent and severe, with vulnerable communities often hardest hit,” he said.
World Food Programme has dispatched 80 metric tonnes of food, reaching about 9,200 people with assistance expected to last 15 days
UNICEF has moved therapeutic food for about 500 severely malnourished children and mobilized 15 emergency medical teams
UN humanitarian partners have set up a coordination hub in Nuwakot to strengthen planning and information shared in the disaster response among organizations on the ground.
