Nepal floods: the hardest miles are still ahead

Nearly two weeks after devastating flash floods swept through central Nepal, communities remain cut off and difficult to reach. REACT Responders are continuing to work on the ground, helping practical support reach some of the places where access remains hardest.

On 26 August, devastating floods swept through the Trishuli River corridor, causing widespread destruction across Rasuwa, Nuwakot and neighbouring districts. Homes, roads, bridges, schools and essential infrastructure were damaged or destroyed. The latest figures reported by the Government of Nepal show 1,367 people have died, more than 5,000 remain missing and thousands of people are still living in temporary holding centres.

But as the response moves from its initial search and rescue phase towards relief and recovery, another challenge is becoming increasingly clear.

Getting help to the people who need it is not straightforward.

Communities remain difficult to reach and the geography of the disaster has created an uneven picture.

Relief supplies are reaching more accessible areas and accumulating in Nuwakot. But damaged roads and bridges, landslides and difficult mountainous terrain continue to restrict access further north into Rasuwa.

In some places, communities only a relatively short distance apart are experiencing very different levels of support simply because one can be reached and another cannot. Some locations still require alternative routes, journeys on foot or other ways of moving assistance beyond damaged infrastructure.

Relief supplies are reaching more accessible areas and accumulating in Nuwakot. But damaged roads and bridges, landslides and difficult mountainous terrain continue to restrict access further north into Rasuwa.

In some places, communities only a relatively short distance apart are experiencing very different levels of support simply because one can be reached and another cannot. Some locations still require alternative routes, journeys on foot or other ways of moving assistance beyond damaged infrastructure.

This is where REACT's ability to move quickly, assess gaps and operate in difficult environments can make a difference.

Finding where REACT can add value

REACT's first three-person team arrived in Kathmandu on 30 August.

Their job was to understand where REACT could genuinely add value within a much larger humanitarian response.

Over the following days, the team travelled into affected areas, spoke to people on the ground, shared information with humanitarian coordination networks and assessed some of the significant access challenges facing remote communities.

At Bogatitar, Responders found a striking example of the uneven impact of the floods. On one side of the river, assistance could be received and coordinated. On the other, people had been completely cut off. The team assessed needs and identified a potential helicopter landing site, sharing that information with the wider humanitarian response.

Access has remained the defining challenge throughout the deployment.

Power for cut-off communities

One practical need identified during the response was power.

REACT has so far helped get six portable generators into remote communities, including Briddhim, Lingling, Sherpa Gau and Benjang. The generators can provide essential power for needs including mobile communications and lighting.

Moving them has not been simple.

(Top photo credit: Arete Stories)