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Severe flooding in China and Nepal has caused widespread destruction and a rising death toll, prompting the United Nations and humanitarian partners to step up emergency assistance.
UN agencies and humanitarian organisations are supporting local authorities in their response to the disasters, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Wednesday.
“The Secretary-General is saddened by the severe flooding that we saw earlier today in Nepal and in China, which has claimed many lives, left people missing and caused widespread destruction,” Dujarric told reporters.
In Nepal, UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia is coordinating relief efforts with humanitarian partners in support of the government-led response as authorities confront what the UN described as a potentially massive humanitarian need.
Nepalese authorities estimate that around 10,000 households urgently need relief. Settlements, markets, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure have been swept away or damaged, while blocked roads and power disruptions have complicated rescue and relief operations, according to the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.
Humanitarian agencies have already begun providing emergency assistance and are prepared to expand their response as the scale of the needs becomes clearer.
“We are also supporting efforts to rapidly assess the scale of the disaster,” Dujarric said.
UN agencies and partners are conducting assessments to determine the extent of the damage and identify the most urgent needs among affected communities.
Humanitarian organisations are mobilising resources in Nepal as emergency operations get underway.
Save the Children has begun deploying staff to flood-hit Nuwakot district, while the Nepal Red Cross has dispatched 200 emergency shelter packages to assist affected families.
The UN said additional support would be provided as further assessments reveal the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
The UN also reported significant damage and casualties in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
“Our UN office in China is also reporting damage and significant numbers of casualties and destruction in the Tibet autonomous region of China,” Dujarric said.
He added that the UN was ready to support China’s government-led response if assistance was required.
The disasters have placed additional pressure on local authorities and humanitarian organisations as they work to reach communities cut off by damaged roads and infrastructure.
The UN said its priority is to support rapid assessments, deliver emergency relief and help authorities respond to the immediate needs of people affected by the floods. Source: UN News