Red Cross issues emergency appeal to help Nepal flood victims

As national and international support to help the flood victims of the country continue to pour in following the urgent appeal made by the government, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has also appealed "for $1.7 million to help more than 20,000 families affected by torrential monsoon rains, landslides and extensive flooding in the south of Nepal."

The Nepal Red Cross Society has estimated that more than 330,000 people have been affected due to floods.

"The hardest hit communities need to receive food, clean water, and access to sanitation facilities," says the secretary general of the Nepal Red Cross, Dev Ratna Dhakhwa. "But we also need to look beyond this emergency phase, towards helping people return to a normal way of life and enable vulnerable communities to be prepared for future disasters such as this," he adds.

The Nepal Red Cross has been leading the distribution of relief in the country and is working closely with the government, United Nations agencies and other aid organizations. Volunteers in each of the 33 affected districts have so far distributed rice, noodles, salt and sugar to around 30,000 families, along with first aid and ambulance services. Plastic sheets, cooking utensils and blankets have also been given to more than 3,000 families.

This is the third emergency appeal launched by the International Federation in recent weeks in response to the South Asia floods. nepalnews.com sd Aug 11 07

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