Mongabay · Natuur

Nepal Flood Survivors Trade Food for Medicine, Use Ziplines

Survivors of deadly floods in Nepal are facing shortages of essential medicines and cash, even as authorities provide basic supplies. Some are resorting to trading relief items for medication and using makeshift ziplines to cross rivers after infrastructure was destroyed.

Some flood survivors in Nepal are struggling to obtain essential medicines and cash, despite receiving food and other basic supplies from authorities. These shortages exacerbate the hardships faced by those in temporary shelters after losing their homes and belongings.

Suresh Kumar Karanjit, a resident of a relief center in Devighat, Nuwakot district, lost his brother in the floods. He reported a lack of prescribed heart medication at the camp and had to sell a carton of noodles for 400 rupees ($2.60) to afford his regular medicine.

Nepal's disaster chief, Dharam Raj Uprety, stated that health centers with doctors and medicine are operational at each shelter, with a focus on hygiene and sanitation to prevent disease outbreaks.

The Aug. 26 floods, possibly caused by a glacier collapse, devastated towns and valleys, destroying homes, roads, and bridges. The disaster management agency reports at least 1,252 deaths and over 4,200 missing in Nepal, with China reporting 21 deaths and 541 missing on its side of the border.

Nearly 4,000 displaced people are housed in 34 relief centers across Nepal. In severely affected areas, residents are using alternative methods to navigate, such as a temporary zipline across the Trishuli River in Bidur town, with army personnel assisting crossings.

Rescue efforts are increasingly concentrated on tunnels at hydroelectric projects where workers are believed to be trapped. Approximately 900 workers are missing, and specialized rescue teams from India, China, and the United States are involved. It remains uncertain if the trapped workers are alive.

At the Trishuli-3A tunnel, workers are manually clearing the upper section. An access road has been constructed, but further debris removal is required before heavy machinery can be deployed.

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