Red Cross launches US$31mil appeal for Nepal disaster response

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has initiated a $31 million emergency appeal to aid the victims of flash floods and landslides that devastated the Nepal-Tibet border region. The appeal follows the release of one million Swiss francs to support immediate lifesaving efforts. IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain stated that entire villages were washed away, and needs will grow in the coming hours and days.

Communities affected by the disaster will require sustained support for recovery and rebuilding. The disaster, described as a tsunami-like wall of freezing water and mud, destroyed towns, homes, bridges, and dams. Current estimates suggest that around 93,000 people may have been affected, although assessments are ongoing in hard-to-reach areas.

The remoteness of the affected regions, compounded by damaged infrastructure, is compounding the challenges of both assessing the full scale of the disaster and delivering aid to those in need. The appeal will aid the local Nepal Red Cross team in providing shelter, cash assistance, household relief items, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies, mental health and psychosocial support, and restoring family links.

The IFRC, the world's largest humanitarian network, is currently the largest humanitarian organization.