Nepal floods leave trail of destruction, aid challenge

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Nepal is reeling from devastating floods that cut a swath of destruction through the Himalayan nation, and the government has appealed for financial help in the daunting task of recovery.

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Rescue efforts are focused on searching for the more than 2,400 missing. More than 620 people have been confirmed dead.

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The government has called for aid for the landlocked nation, reporting a “heavy loss of life and property” as it continues to assess the full scale of the destruction. Risks of further flooding remain.

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Here are some of the challenges ahead.

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– Tens of thousands in need –

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The trauma of Wednesday’s catastrophic flooding has been “enormous”, with as many as 93,000 people potentially affected in the country of about 30 million, the Red Cross said.

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Entire communities have been swept away, leaving families homeless or sheltering in temporary facilities.

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“Multiple bridges have been washed away and major roads disrupted, leaving some of the worst-affected communities extremely difficult to reach,” the Red Cross said.

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At least 18 schools have been destroyed and another 20 damaged, leaving about 10,000 school-age children affected, according to the UN Children’s Fund.

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– Political challenges –

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The disaster comes just ahead of the anniversary of last year’s September 8-9 mass anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.

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Nepal is now led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, a 36-year-old rapper-turned-politician widely known as “Balen”.

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The former Kathmandu mayor swept March elections on a wave of euphoria calling for political change.

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His young government now faces the enormous task of rebuilding communities and critical infrastructure.

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– Economic hit –

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Nepal’s economy is already under pressure, with limited resources to respond to a disaster of this scale.

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The World Bank estimates 82 percent of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at $1,447 in 2024.

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As much as a third of Nepal’s gross domestic product comes from remittances, including from significant numbers of workers in Gulf nations.

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Tourism contributes about 6.4 percent of Nepal’s GDP and supports around 15 percent of employment, according to the World Bank.

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The floods could add to the economic fallout by disrupting trekking, pilgrimage and other tourism, particularly in the Himalayan north.

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– Health risks –

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The floods destroyed three health posts and partially damaged a hospital, with access to two other hospitals affected, according to the UN’s World Health Organization.

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“Displacement, overcrowding, damaged water and sanitation systems, and disrupted health services may increase the risk of communicable diseases,” WHO said.

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– Power damaged –

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The Nepal Electricity Authority said 11 hydropower stations and one solar power station had stopped operating, with a combined capacity of 431.1 megawatts.

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That represents about 10 percent of Nepal’s installed electricity generation capacity, according to the authority.

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Another 15 power projects under construction, with a combined planned capacity of 470 megawatts, have also been damaged.

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More than 900 hydropower workers are missing.

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AFP

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