Browse the site and make a Donation Now!
Islamic Relief is sending emergency aid to communities affected by the deadly flash floods in Nepal.
Key stats
– More than 350 people have been killed
– Over 1,000 people are missing
– At least 50,000 people have been affected
Nepal is reeling one day after devastating flash floods tore along the country’s northern border.
Homes, bridges and markets were swept away in seconds by what eyewitnesses describe as a 30-metre (100 foot) wall of water and debris.
At least 359 deaths have been confirmed – a number which is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue and with more than 1,000 people still missing.
Many families lost their homes and livelihoods in an instant and there are now fears of more destruction as a lake is at risk of bursting. Bridges and power networks have been badly damaged or blocked by rubble, complicating efforts to reach survivors in remote areas. Rasuwa and Nuwakot are the worst-affected areas.
The cause of the disaster has not yet been confirmed, but Nepal is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with melting glaciers in the Himalayas causing flooding and landslides. Scientists in the region have reported that a huge chunk of glacier fell up to 7,000 feet into the river below, causing a massive wave of water to surge downstream.
Islamic Relief is coordinating with Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) and District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) to coordinate a response.
In the immediate term, we will provide emergency shelter and aid such as tarpaulins, blankets and mattresses to people in Rasuwa and Nuwakot.
As more information emerges, Islamic Relief stands ready to scale up assistance further as needed.
“Survivors are desperately trying to trace their missing loved ones, while at the same time trying to find a safe place for their families to shelter and get food for their children. Power supplies have been badly damaged, plunging areas into darkness,” Golam Motasim Billah, Islamic Relief’s country director in Nepal, says.
“Our prayers are with everyone affected and we are working with authorities on the ground to get aid to people as quickly as possible.
“People urgently need aid such as shelter, ready-to-eat food, safe drinking water, and hygiene kits to stop diseases spreading. As well as the immediate loss of life, people’s livelihoods have been washed away. Communities will need long term support to recover.”
Islamic Relief has been working in Nepal for over a decade after first responding to the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, and has a strong network of partnerships with local organisations in the country.
Tens of thousands of people have been left with nothing. Please help us to ease their suffering and provide lifesaving support following this devastating disaster now. Donate to our Nepal Floods Emergency Appeal now.