Flood-displaced Nepalis brace for winter; Some still in tents

Many Nepalis living in northern regions affected by the devastating Aug. 26 flash floods need supplies to survive the winter. Some of those displaced are still living in tents months after the disaster, said Matthew Hanning, CEO of International Nepal Fellowship’s branch in the United Kingdom. Last week, he visited several villages and towns affected by the floods as part of his work with the nonprofit, which provides healthcare and education services along with disaster relief. As a non-governmental relief organization, INF is working to provide winter essentials—thick mattresses, blankets, gloves, and hats, Hanning told WORLD on Monday. The non-governmental relief organization has been in the country since the early 1950s, working on health and development initiatives, “serving with love because God first loved us,” according to its website.

The Aug. 26 floods wiped entire villages off the map near Nepal’s border with Tibet. At least 1,500 people perished, and 5,600 remain missing, according to the UN. The Nepali government has officially ended the rescue phase of its response and is now focusing on rebuilding roads, bridges, critical infrastructure, and homes, according to Hanning. But recovery will take years. Crews often have to dig out tons of dirt and debris deposited by the floods before they can begin rebuilding. Hanning said he saw several roads where bulldozers moved over six feet of sand just to get down to the original road surface.

Further complicating the rebuilding process, both locals and the Nepali government are often unsure whether to reconstruct homes in the same area, knowing that another flood could sweep through the steep valleys, Hanning said. He learned that many of the locals had moved to northern Nepal after losing their homes in a massive 2015 earthquake, then had to start over after the August floods. In one northern village he visited, Syepru Besi, roughly a third of homes had been severely damaged or destroyed, he said. At least one INF staff member has a missing relative, Hanning said.

Representatives of Christian churches in one of the affected areas told him they were still trying to process their grief. Some of their pastors and congregants were still missing, and four churches were destroyed in the floods, he said. But they are trying to care for their communities and show Christ’s love, despite the grief, he said. Nepali Christians are a tiny minority in their majority-Hindu and Buddhist country, and they typically worship on Saturday because Sunday is a workday. At the service Hanning attended on Saturday, the Nepali congregation sang a song with the words, “Father, you are king over the flood. I will be still and know that you are God,” he said.

Dig deeper: Read my report on October floods in other regions of Nepal that damaged over 200 homes.