More than 35,000 people who have been displaced after the Saptakoshi river damaged dams in Western Kusaha region of Sunsari district on Monday are now taking shelter in local schools in the area.
Local authorities say that the displaced have been put up at 12 government-run schools, government offices and private homes in Inaruwa, the district headquarter of Sunsari.
Dev Narayan Yadav of the Koshi Pidit Samak, an organization of people victimized by the annual floods in Koshi river, said that the displaced, many of whom are in a very bad-condition, are in desperate need of food, shelter and medicines.
A team of Nepal Army personnel and police force are continually engaged in rescue efforts along with distributing relief materials in the affected areas. They are said to be getting help from the locals in this matter.
As the swollen river started to erode the dams and inundate the nearby villages, tens of thousands of local people had started to flee their homes for safety from Monday night.
The raging river completely swept away more than 3,000 houses and destroyed huge tracts of paddy fields.
Reports just coming in say that 3 people have died of drowning in the swollen river and more than 12 people are feared to be missing. However, police said that they only have information about the missing people.
A section of East-West highway in Laukahi area has also been obstructed due to the flood, adversely affecting rescue efforts and transportation in the region. Hundreds of passengers traveling to far eastern Nepal have been stranded because of this as their buses remained park at the other end of the Koshi barrage.
The swollen river water has also damaged the optical fibre of Nepal Telecom in the district, because of which the mobile phone services in eastern Nepal has also been disrupted. According to Nepal Telecom, this has affected more than one hundred thousand mobile phone users in the region. NT officials said that the mobile service would only resume after repairs are carried on the damaged optical fibre and said that this is not possible until the river water recedes
Reports said Laukahi, Kusaha, Ghuski, Sripur, Haripur and Basantapur VDCs have been the most affected
The flood has affected the buffer region of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. An army battalion located there for its safety, too, had to shift to safety.
Local people have accused the authorities of not acting on time to avert the disaster.
Meanwhile, in Kathmandu, Khomraj Dahal, director general of Water Induced Disaster Prevention Department, told Kantipur that the disaster occurred due to lack of repair and maintenance of barrage. As per the Koshi agreement, India is responsible for operation and maintenance of the barrage.
In another report, Sharad Yadav, leader of the Indian delegation currently in Nepal, said that Prime Minister Dahal has informed them about the inundation in Sunsari district caused by Koshi dam. He said both Nepal and India could solve the problem through proper management of the water in Koshi River while assuring he would raise this issue in the Indian parliament.
Situation Update 1: Sunsari Flooding August 19, 2008 10amEvents On August 18th the
Koshi River broke through an eastern retaining wall roughly 10 Km north of the East
West Highway. The waters have flooded significant portions of the following VDCs of
Sunsari District: Haripur, Shripur, Laukihi, Paschhim Kushaha, Ghuski, Narshing and
Madhuwan VDCs are also affected, but to a lesser extent. The East West Highway is
currently impassable due to flood waters at the entrance of Koshi Tapu National Park
and the NTC mobile phone network is down in the Eastern Region. Displacement: It is
estimated that 15,000 people are displaced due to the flooding. The majority were
displaced quickly and moved with limited belongings and supplies. Displaced people
are congregated on high ground, including the main east west highway and other
embankments. Security forces are in the process of relocating people to 12 shelters
identified in Sunsari. This morning two helicopters are airlifting people isolated
by flood waters. This population may be displaced for several days. The repair of
the embankment is not possible with current water levels and the majority of flooded
land will remain flooded until the embankment is repaired. Needs: There is a need
for food and NFIs. Site assessments for the 12 shelters in Inaruwa is happening
today and there may be a need for water, sanitation, and camp management support at
these locations. Current needs will not be met by resources within the district and
the CDO has appealed for assistance from outside the district and outside the
region. The Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs has also requested for
assistance from the central level. Response: A Sunsari DDRC meeting was held on
August 19th. The DDRC took the following decisions based immediately available
resources: · WVI-Sunsari is providing 4000 kg. beaten rice, 150 kg puffed
rice, 100 tarpaulin; · UPCA Nepal is providing the emergency food of Rs.
50,000; · NRCS-Sunsari is providing 50 tarpaulin; · DDRC identified 12
temporary shelters for displaced people. · CDO opened the request to all for
support in such flooding case; The NRCS regional warehouse in Biratnagar has 3,000
to 3,500 NFI kits in stock. UNICEF regional emergency stocks are as follows: ·
1,000 Blankets · Water purification tab. · 1,000 10 lts Plastic
bucket · 400 Kitchen utensils A Regional Disaster Response Meeting was held
the night of August 19th in Itahari and attended by Regional Administrator, Regional
heads of line agencies, Regional NRCS, ER Division Head of Nepal Army, DIG Nepal
Police, and DIG Armed Police. This meeting decided the following: · Nepal
Army , Nepal Police, and APF will continue rescue operation on August 19th ·
All those providing assistance should coordinate with the DDRC · Regional
heads of line agencies asked to mobilize resources for DDRC Sunsari ·
International agencies and OCHA are asked to mobilize resources from outside the
district Current Relief Priorities: · Rescue individuals still stranded by
flood waters · Identify an alternative East West route for humanitarian
supplies. · Site assessments for 12 shelters in Sunsari · Distribution
of food and NFIs to displaced people Actors in the Region: World Vision
International , Plan International, NRCS, and UNICEF are the agencies with the
largest operations in the affected VDCs. Action Aid is also active in Sunsari
district.
Source: nepalnews.com sd/ag Aug 19 08
UNOCHA
Situation Report 2
Events
On August 18th the Koshi River broke through an eastern retaining wall
roughly 10 Km north of the East West Highway. The waters have flooded
significant portions of the following VDCs of Sunsari District: Haripur,
Shripur, Laukihi, Paschhim Kushaha. Ghuski, Narshing and Madhuwan VDCs
are also affected, but to a lesser extent. The East West Highway is
currently impassable due to flood waters at the entrance of Koshi Tapu
Wildlife Reserve.
NTC phone network is repaired in parts of the ER.
An alternative East West route through India is currently used by Nepal
Public buses. The route follows Biratnagar to Bathanaha to Birpur to
Bahantabari and the trip takes roughly 2.5 hours.
Displacement:
It is estimated that 15,000 people are displaced due to the flooding.
The majority were displaced quickly and moved with limited belongings
and supplies. The rescue operation continues. As of 6:30 pm August
19th there were roughly 3,500 people in shelters in Inaruwa. It is
presumed that the remaining affected/displaced people have resettled
with extended family or are still being rescued.
Agencies should assume that this population will remain displaced for
2-4 weeks as the repair of the embankment remains impossible with
current water levels. Without this repair, flooded areas will remain
flooded. Please see the attached matrix with details of the shelters.
According to the Nepal Army at 9:30 am on August 20th 417 people were
airlifted and 2,500 people rescued by ground on August 19. Rescue
operations continue today.
Needs:
Food: Immediate food needs are being met with donations of ready to eat
foods from Government INGOs, NGOs, UN and local civic organizations.
However there is a need for medium term food assistance. WFP is
conducting an assessment today.
NFI: NFI needs are being met. Please see the attached matrix for NFI
commitments. In addition NRCS has a regional stock of 3,500 family NFI
kits.
WATSAN: Water and sanitation at the shelters continues to be a
significant need. WVI is installing emergency latrines and UMN may also
get involved. These will take 3-4 days to come on line. WVI is also
installing 10 tube wells and has the capacity to install 10 more.
UNICEF will begin training on the use of aquatab today and will provide
aquatab for 600 families.
Health: The acting DHO has assigned a health team to each shelter.
These teams will provide primary care and refer as necessary to the
district hospital. The team consists of a health assistant and an
auxiliary health worker. In addition, the DHO has created a rapid
response team moving with a vehicle. The DHO assures that he has
sufficient supplies and drugs for the current case load. UNICEF has
provided a first aid kit for each shelter.
Recovery: Agencies and government should start to consider return and
reconstruction support.
Assessments and actors on the ground:
OXFAM GB, Caritas, and DEPROX Nepal are conducting a rapid assessment
using the IASC Initial Rapid Assessment Tool. This assessment began
from the evening of August 19th.
UNICEF, LWF, ACTION AID, British Nepal Medical Trust, UMN, Plan
International, Save the Children and UNHCR have all sent staff to the
area on August 19th.
WFP is assessing food needs on August 20th.
GoN, WVI, UPCA Nepal, and NRCS have begun providing direct assistance
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