Food Aid Needed In Nepal For Thousands Hit By Flooding And Landslides, UN Reports

New York, Oct 14 2009 3:10PM Flooding and landslides triggered by torrential rainfall in the middle and far western regions of Nepal this month have killed 58 people, displaced an estimated 2,600 families and affected over 18,000 more, the United Nations reported today.

“Those affected are in need of food aid,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. “Access to clean drinking water has also become a problem because of the contamination of water sources. In some areas, it is estimated that between 15 and 40 per cent of the rice crop has been destroyed and a considerable number of livestock lost.”

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), immediate seed support to farmers is needed to prevent a food crisis next year. FAO has deployed an agriculture assessment team to Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchapur.

The latest floods have exacerbated the effects of previous flooding in August and September, and many bridges and roads have been partially or completely destroyed.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is assisting 10,000 families with water treatment tablets for 10 days and providing washing materials for 5,000 families. It is also making available 6,000 health and hygiene kits as required.

ENDS