Cáritas Nepal has begun distributing meals and essential supplies to thousands of displaced people affected by the flash floods that struck the country on the morning of August 26, along the border with Tibet. The natural disaster originated from the collapse of a glacier that caused a seismic event of magnitude 5.2 and triggered violent flash floods in high-altitude areas. Nepali and Chinese authorities count over a thousand dead and are still searching for nearly four thousand missing persons, including four Portuguese citizens identified by the government in Lisbon.
The most affected areas include Rasuwa, Timure, Rasuwagadhi and Syabrubesi, where water descended through the Bhote Koshi river from Tibet, devastating markets, settlements and vital infrastructure. Cáritas Nepal teams are on the ground responding to the devastating impact of the floods and landslides, with displaced communities, damaged homes and difficult access to the worst-affected areas. The destruction of roads and the electricity grid is hindering rescue operations in isolated communities.
Cáritas response includes the installation of more than half a hundred communal kitchens and the delivery of supplies to 300 affected families for a period of 15 days. A partnership with the American humanitarian agency Catholic Relief Services channeled 500 thousand dollars in funding to provide shelters, hygiene kits and solar lighting systems to one thousand households. The Catholic Church has also sent medicines valued at nearly three thousand euros to the Gareni health post and plans to transfer direct financial support to 750 highly vulnerable families.
The immediate priorities identified by the organization include food, clean water, emergency shelter, blankets, mattresses, hygiene products, lighting and healthcare, with greater medical capacity and ambulances also urgently needed, as well as psychosocial support. The possibility of new floods continues to be a cause for concern, requiring continuous monitoring, early warnings and preparation for downstream communities.
