Doha: Qatar Red Crescent Society's (QRCS) relief delegation to Nepal has completed the first phase of quick response to the recent floods and landslides in the country. The intervention was funded by Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and supervised by the Qatari embassy in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.
At a press conference held by Ambassador of Qatar to Nepal, Yousef Ahmed Al Hail, QRCS's team gave an overview of the organization's humanitarian achievements in Nepal since 2013. Then, the media reporters were informed about the details of the current relief intervention plan.
Till 24 September 2017, 1,298 affected families (6,490 people) received shelter and hygiene kits, including material like mosquito nets, tarpaulins, soaps, washing powder, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair shampoo, and nail clippers.
Distributions covered the most affected families in the districts of Banke (Kathkuiya), Bardiya (Gulariya), Jhapa (Kamatoli), Morang, and Sarlahi.
On the early days of the disaster, QRCS activated its Disaster Information Management Center (DIMC) and allotted $240,000 for the initial intervention in emergency shelter, hygiene, and health awareness raising for the benefit of 4,000 families (20,000 people).
Over 30 days, the team made field visits to assess needs and deliver aid in coordination with the Qatari Embassy, the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UN agencies, and the Health Services and Relief Association of Nepal.
In the end of the mission, QRCS's team honored Al Hail for his valuable contributions to the success of the intervention. He was closely following up with the intervention plan, appointed a team of the embassy staff to facilitate the mission, and coordinated with the ministers of interior and foreign affairs.
The next phase of response would involve additional 2,700 families (13,500 people). Over the period 2013-2017, QRCS helped 90,850 families through disaster response, water, sanitation, health care, and food security activities.
The worst since 2010, the floods of August 2017 caused serious landslides. According to preliminary reports, the disaster has had a toll of 149 killed, 27 missing, dozens injured, 372,733 families affected, 92,216 families displaced, 64,997 houses destroyed, and 144,973 houses damaged.
Blocked roads and toppled bridges hindered the evacuation of thousands of families and delivery of aid. There is a high risk of malaria and other endemic diseases due to mosquitos, wet weather, and large swampland areas.
