The United Nations has appealed for $50 million in emergency aid for Nepal as survivors of the catastrophic August 26 floods struggle with destroyed homes, isolated communities and a growing risk of disease.
UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia, after visiting devastated mountain communities, said survivors had lost homes, livelihoods and family members within minutes.
“You lose your home, you lose your livelihood, you lose your loved one and you lose the breadwinner of your family,” she said. “And you know, this happened in one to two minutes.”
The floods along the China-Nepal border killed at least 1,384 people and left more than 5,500 missing across Nepal and China. More than 800 foreigners from at least 34 countries, including tourists and pilgrims, are among those unaccounted for.
The UN appeal aims to assist more than 84,000 people. Many communities remain cut off after floods destroyed roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure, turning journeys that once took hours into day-long ordeals.
“Those people are cut off from the rest of the world because the road is gone,” Pieters Yahia said.
She also warned of potential disease outbreaks, particularly cholera, as sanitation systems have been damaged and around 5,000 cattle were killed.
“This could lead to communicable diseases,” she said, stressing the urgent need for sanitation and hygiene measures.
With Nepal still in the monsoon season and landslides complicating relief operations, Pieters Yahia urged greater international assistance.
“This is the time to help Nepal,” she said. “We can’t leave them alone.”
