HI Responds to Nepal Emergency, Supporting Hospitals and Communities After Devastating Flood

NEPAL- On August 26, a flood of ice and mud devastated northern Nepal. HI team in Nepal is assessing needs, distributing emergency supplies, and helping local hospitals with rehabilitation and mental health care. As always, our teams are working to ensure people with disabilities and their needs are included in the disaster response.

Scenes of Devastation: More than 10,000 households need emergency aid

Preliminary figures indicate that more than 160 people have been killed, around 100 injured, and nearly a thousand are missing.

Thousands of people have fled the oncoming mudslide, leaving their homes and possessions behind, according to the Nepalese authorities. However, the scale of the disaster suggests that the death toll is likely to rise significantly as search operations continue. The region’s mountainous terrain and scale of infrastructure damage are hampering the work of rescue teams. Furthermore, communications remain cut off with some of the worst-affected areas. 

Rajesh Chandra, HI’s Nepal Program Director, shares,

“The images reaching us from the disaster areas are terrifying; they show a torrent suddenly surging forward and sweeping everything away in its path. The mudslide has cut off roads, and some areas are now completely inaccessible by road; this is particularly the case for several health centers and two hospitals. The risk of further landslides or of houses whose foundations have been weakened collapsing remains high in the districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading.

People were injured in the disaster, and the Department of Health quickly called upon HI to provide support in rehabilitation and mental health. We are preparing to deploy an emergency team to help hospitals cope with the influx of injured people and to provide around 100 mobility aids – walking sticks, crutches, wheelchairs, and so on – to those who need them. One of our key priorities is to ensure that the emergency response is truly inclusive, taking particular account of people with disabilities, older people and other vulnerable groups.”

HI’s Emergency Response 

HI has been working in Nepal for over 25 years and has extensive expertise in disaster response and rehabilitation.  

HI stands ready to deploy an emergency rehabilitation team to support hospitals in the region by strengthening their services. The first few hours following a disaster are indeed crucial for providing rapid care to patients – some of whom are seriously injured – and preventing permanent disabilities. 

In addition, initial psychological support will be offered to those affected by the disaster to help them cope with the trauma it caused. 

Finally, HI has a stock of essential items – blankets, clothing, kitchen utensils, soap, etc. – ready to be delivered to support families whose homes have been buried by the mudslide. As a result, around 100 households are expected to receive emergency aid shortly to help them cope with the hours and days of uncertainty ahead. 

Stand with Nepal: Nepal Floods: Families Need Help Right Now

For more information about HI's work in Nepal, check our Nepal Mission Page.