Kathmandu: More than 215 people, including 35 children, have been killed and dozens are missing after heavy rains triggered flash floods and landslides across Nepal, UN humanitarians said this week. Many of the deaths have occurred in the capital, Kathmandu, which witnessed the most intense rains in over half a century. Hundreds of houses along with schools and hospitals have been damaged and the southern portion of the city remains inundated.
The rains, which began on 27 September, and lasted more than 72 hours, also caused extensive damage outside the capital. Forty-four of Nepal’s 77 districts have been affected, and many areas are cut off, with bridges and roads swept away and powerlines and telecommunication networks disrupted.
Security forces and volunteers have rescued about 4,500 people. It is estimated that over 7,600 families have been severely affected, many of whom lived in informal settlements that have washed away. Furthermore, as water pumps, pipes and cropland have been damaged, access to water and food and their affordability, could become a major challenge in the coming days.
The government has announced temporary shelters for those who lost their homes, as well as financial aid for the families of the deceased and the injured. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, returning from the UN General Assembly, called an emergency meeting to address the crisis.