Oxfam launches Nepal flood response in worst-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot, as destroyed roads and swept-away bridges block relief efforts

Oxfam is launching an emergency response in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, the districts worst affected by Wednesday's flash flood, as roads and bridges swept away by the surge have left entire communities almost impossible to reach. 

On Wednesday 26 August, a landslide and glacial event around 20km north of the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint blocked the Lhende Khola, triggering a major flash flood. At least 200 people have been killed and hundreds more are missing across Nepal and Tibet. The surge then swept into the Trishuli River via Timure, Syaprubesi and Bhairabkunda, leaving families along the riverbanks of Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan, in peril. 

“Entire neighbourhoods are under mud and rescue teams are still digging. The water rose nine metres in half an hour. What we are seeing so far is only what we can reach,” said Santosh Pandey, Oxfam Humanitarian Lead in Nepal. 

The collapse of roads, bridges and communications has severely hampered relief efforts. The Government of Nepal's has asked for 30 temporary bridges of 50 to 70 metres each, alongside food, shelter and water purification supplies. For now, reaching the hardest-hit communities depends almost entirely on-air access. 

“The rivers are full of debris and sewage, and there is no piped supply left to fall back on. Getting clean water and safe sanitation to most affected people into these valleys is the priority now,” added Pandey.   

Families also need hygiene supplies, emergency shelter and food. The Government of Nepal estimates that 8,692 households – nearly 40,000 people – require emergency hygiene support and water purification, in addition to 3,130 dignity kits and nearly 4,000 baby kits for children under five. 

Oxfam, working with its partners and in close coordination with local authorities, is immediately supplying emergency hygiene kits, incorporating water purification solutions, for 200 households in the hardest-hit Rasuwa district.  But Oxfam urgently needs £1 million British pounds to scale up its response and reach 10,000 people with temporary shelter, clean water, and sanitation and hygiene kits.