UNICEF teams reach Nuwakot to assess urgent humanitarian needs as rescue crews search for survivors and deliver aid across flood-hit Nepal…reports Asian Lite news Desk
Rescue and relief operations continued across flood-affected regions of Nepal on Friday as UNICEF teams arrived in Nuwakot to assess the humanitarian situation and provide assistance to people displaced by the disaster.
During a ground assessment, a UNICEF representative said the organisation was evaluating the situation and coordinating its response with the Nepal government.
“We are assessing the situation. Yes, we coordinate with the Nepal government,” the UNICEF representative told ANI.
The humanitarian response comes after a catastrophic flash flood struck the Tibet-Nepal border on August 26, sending a powerful surge of water, sediment and boulders through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems.
The flooding caused widespread destruction, particularly in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, with settlements and infrastructure affected by the sudden surge of water.
According to Nepal Police, the death toll from the disaster had risen to 469 by Friday, while 1,545 people had been rescued or injured.
Chitwan recorded the highest number of deaths, with 178 bodies recovered, followed by Nawalparasi East with 110. Gorkha recorded 44 deaths, Nuwakot 37, Dhading 33, Tanahun 28, Nawalparasi West 27 and Rasuwa 12.
Authorities have so far rescued 644 people from Rasuwa, 898 from Nuwakot and three from Dhading as emergency teams continue to search affected areas.
The disaster has also affected security personnel. Twenty-eight Nepal Police personnel remain missing, while the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) said 977 people were unaccounted for as of Thursday.
Nepal Police has deployed 4,348 personnel for ongoing search-and-rescue operations. The government has also released NPR 25 million in emergency relief funds, with NPR 10 million each allocated to Rasuwa and Nuwakot and NPR 5 million to Dhading.
International organisations and foreign governments have also stepped up support for Nepal’s relief efforts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday expressed sadness over the severe flooding in Nepal and China, saying the disasters had claimed lives, left people missing and caused widespread destruction.
“I am saddened by the severe flooding in Nepal & China, which has claimed many lives, left people missing, and caused widespread destruction,” Guterres said in a post on X.
He extended condolences to the families of those who died and wished those injured a swift recovery.
Guterres said the United Nations was supporting the Nepal government’s response, with UN teams and humanitarian partners mobilising supplies and personnel to assist affected communities.
The United States has announced $500,000 in emergency assistance, while the World Health Organization has dispatched emergency medical supplies to support the humanitarian response.
India has also offered assistance. President Droupadi Murmu expressed solidarity with Nepal, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah and said India was ready to provide all possible humanitarian support.
The Ministry of External Affairs has separately released the names of 63 Indian nationals working at the Trishuli-I hydropower project who have been rescued. However, 288 Indian nationals remain uncontactable, according to the ministry.
As the disaster has affected a significant number of foreign nationals, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs established an Emergency Control Room on Thursday to coordinate assistance.
The ministry said the Emergency Control Room would serve as the central coordinating body for search-and-rescue operations, verification of information and consular assistance for foreign nationals affected by, missing in or otherwise connected to the floods in Rasuwa.
The establishment of the control room is expected to streamline coordination between Nepalese authorities, foreign governments and diplomatic missions as efforts continue to locate missing nationals and provide assistance to survivors.
Meanwhile, UNICEF teams are assessing humanitarian needs in Nuwakot, where displaced residents require emergency assistance and essential supplies.
With hundreds of people still unaccounted for and extensive damage reported across affected districts, rescue agencies and humanitarian organisations remain focused on locating missing people, assisting survivors and delivering relief to communities cut off by the floods.
Authorities are also monitoring conditions in flood-prone areas amid concerns over further hazards that could complicate ongoing rescue and relief operations.
