Since the massive floods in Nepal, we have been contributing to the emergency aid through our partner organisation, Asal Chhimekee Nepal (ACN). ACN provides an update on the situation and the relief efforts carried out earlier this month.
The situation
The situation in Rasuwa has deteriorated: some 90,000 people have been directly affected by the disaster. There have been 1,450 deaths and some 5,600 people are missing. The devastation is immense. Local churches have also been severely affected: two congregations have been completely destroyed and more than 150 believers have been killed or are missing. There is an urgent need for food, shelter and medical care.
Distributing relief supplies
On 4 September, the ACN team travelled to Rashuwa. Due to poor road conditions, diversions and muddy tracks, the journey took longer than expected. Upon arrival, the aid workers immediately began distributing relief supplies, even though the suffering they encountered was overwhelming.
“A man in his eighties says he has lost five family members; only he and his grandchild have survived. A young mother recounts the unbearable moment when her six-year-old daughter, on her way to school, was swept away by a bus right before her eyes. The whole village is in mourning, and we mourn with them.”
In the Kispang parishes, the team then distributes aid to 400 families. “Survivors come to us in silence; many young women sit there with their babies, mourning the loss of their husbands and fathers. Local church leaders and volunteers help us with the distribution, but we know that only God can heal broken hearts.” In the days that follow, three more lorries set off carrying supplies, which the aid workers distribute to a few hundred families.
Plans for the coming period
Through dialogue with local communities, leaders and authorities, the team determines which strategies are required for both the short and long term. For the short term, ACN has the following plans:
1. Providing health and mental health care: setting up camps in collaboration with local health services and hospitals to provide emergency medical care and trauma support, particularly for children, mothers and the elderly.
2. Continue relief efforts: continue to distribute food, clothing, blankets, cooking utensils, salt and oil to affected families. Priority will be given to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach households.
3. Providing assistance with temporary accommodation: supplying corrugated sheets and other materials to help families build temporary shelters.
4. Setting up solar energy systems: installing small-scale solar energy systems to provide displaced families with lighting and basic energy, particularly in areas without electricity.
Pray with us
The aid workers draw great courage from the prayers, words of encouragement and financial support they have already received. Will you continue to pray with us? “In this way, we can bring hope together to places where despair prevails and bear witness to the church in Nepal,” says director Raju Adhikari.
