Government of Nepal (GoN)

Ministry of Home Affairs

Press Release

Translated by: Raj K Pandey, MBS, MA

Date: 25 September 2008

1. The incessant heavy rainfall from 19 September, Friday-night up to 21 September

morning caused floods and landslides in the districts of the Far Western belt
particularly Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura and Doti along with Mid Western
Region viz. Bardiya, Banke, Dang and Salyan districts. The flowing details are
the damages and losses of the human and physical properties as well as rescue and
relief activities against the floods and landslides in both the regions.

2. According to the preliminary details of the losses and damages received so far, 12
persons died in Kailali, 12 died and 4 missing in Kanchanpur, 1 died in each
Dadeldhura and Bajura, 5 persons died and 3 injured, while landslides buried a
house due to same rainfall, who belonged to a single family in Laxminagar VDC
of Doti, 1 person died in Salyan by dint of landslides including 4 died in Bajhang.
It has been reported that the total number of death bodies are 36 in the entire area.

3. With reference to the physical damages, Lalbujha, Ratanpur, Hasuliya, Parbara,

Dhansinhapur, Narayanpur and Khailad VDCs in Kailali have been completely
sunk and other VDCs including a Municipality are partially affected by dint of the
flood. As per the acquired information so far, 12,779 families have been displaced
and some persons have been missing due to natural disasters.

4. Total 15 different temporary camps in Kailali have been created and arranged for
settlements for those displaced people with a coordination of Nepal Red Cross
Society and other organizations. The damaged road in the Pahalwanpur area,
under the East-West highway, has been repaired that is on operation at present.

5. The households, land, drinking water supplies, irrigation, road, communication,

etc. which are lifeline infrastructures for the livelihoods of the local residents have
been completely damaged. Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force,
People’s Liberation Army (PLAs) and local dwellers have been widely mobilized
for rescue-relief distribution as well as repair and maintenance of Bhimdatta road.

6. Dodhara, Pattasan, Rautelibichawa, Radhapur, Krishnapur, Mahendranagar,

Sikhapur, Tribhuvan and Sankerpur VDCs have been affected due to the floods in
Kanchanpur district. The preliminary compiled data indicate that total number of
4,905 persons have been displaced, 24,971 affected and approximately 500
houses are completely damaged.
7. There have been arranged 15 temporary camps in the different public schools and
places for settlement purpose of the affected and displaced people. The District
Disaster Rescue Committed has formed 9 teams in order to mobilize them for the
rescue, relief distribution and data collection purpose.
8. Meanwhile, local machineries have been formed in the different VDCs and they
are widely used for the rescue and relief activities. A bridge on the highway is in
risk at Krishnapur-6 due to continued soil erosion by Mohana river.

9. Similarly, 52 families of Sanoshree VDC in Bardiaya district have been displaced

and they are provided temporary shelters in the local Baspani school. The local
community people are providing them relief materials as well as meals. On the
other hand, 250 persons are displaced at Pahadipur village of Khairi Chandanpur
VDC and they have been offered temporary settlements at the schools including
repast service through the Junior Red Cross and Chamber of Commerce.

10. On top of this, 70 houses at Tighara and Chhediya in Rajapur and 60 at Bhalufant
in Bhimapur VDCs have been sunk. Total 31 dwellings at Bipadpur, Basanta and
Beluwa in Dhodari VDC have been damaged. Moreover, 7 abodes at Naya Gaon
VDC, 150 at Tepari village in Gulariya Municipality, 18 at Goliyapurba, 29 at
Chaugurjiya, 22 at Surjapura, 10 at ward number-7 in Gulariya Municipality, 150
at Jayanpur, 18 at Palashpartiya, 110 at Daulatpur, 10 at Shivapur, 2 at
Thakurdwar and 45 houses at Gurypatuwa VDCs have been sunk. According to
the latest updates received from Bardiya district, the situation has been gradually
becoming normal.

11. Immediately after acquiring the crisis report, the Chief District Officers (CDOs)
have been instructed to mobilize local government as well as none-governmental
resources and capacities in a coordinated manner through the District Disaster
Relief Committees. Meanwhile, rescue of the flood victims, relocating them in the
provisional camps around the safest places, providing readymade foods, drinking
water, sufficient treatments and so on relief related activities management have
been given highest priority at the local level.

12. In this connection, an immediate contingency meeting of the Central Disaster

Rescue Committee held on 21 September 2008, which decided to widely mobilize
the locally deployed security machinery as well as deputed 2 helicopters with the
necessary rescue materials, manpower, dried-foods and boats in order to launch
the rescue activities in the affected districts in a war-footing manner.

13. The essential measures are on process through Ministry of Health and Population
for proper arrangements of the required health practitioners along with medicinal
stuffs in checking the possible post-crisis epidemics.

14. Nepal Army’s two fleets of helicopters have been already deputed for Kailali and
Kanchanpur to effectively implement the rescue and relief activities at the local
level immediately after exposure field visit and observation in the affected areas.
 Additionally, a team of the Constitution Assembly (CA) members, representing
from the flood-affected constitution areas, visited the region under the leadership
of an honorable Minister for Labor and Transport on 21 September 2008.

15. Meanwhile, then Acting PM and presently Deputy Prime Minister, reached to the
affected Mid-Western and Far-Western Regions for an inspection purpose as well
as in monitoring the rescue-relief management functions at the grassroots level.

16. Necessary medicines and instant dried-foods have been sent via means of Nepal
Army’s helicopters through Ministry of Home Affairs. The Chief District Officer
(CDO), District Based Police Officials, District Authorities of Nepal Red Cross
Society and other representatives of the different organizations, who are involving
for crisis management, made the aerial inspections.

17. After serious discussions among the stakeholders, they eventually instructed for
an efficient and effective rescue and relief distribution along with data collection.
The rescue and relief tasks likely to be comparatively easier and effective since
the level of floods is on the process of decreasing stage at the moment.

18. The Central Disaster Relief Committee has already decided and implemented for
a maximum utilization of the national and even local resources and capacities for
the rescue and relief distribution to the crisis-affected families.

19. As an immediate response for the rescue and relief in the disaster affected areas, it
has been decided to allocate at the rate of NRs. 5 million for Kailali, 2/2 million
for Bajura, Kalikot and Kanchanpur districts respectively, 1.5 million for
Achham, 1/1 million for each Daeldhura and Gulmi districts, 0.5/0.5 million for
Salyan, Doti, Darchula, Bajhang, Bardiya and Sankhuwashabha districts
respectively. For this rational, total NRs. 17.5 millions has been allotted as an
immediate response to address the contingency disaster situation.

20. Subsequently, NRs. 2/2 million for Kailai and Kanchanpur, 0.5/0.5 for Doti and
Dadeldhura districts have been already sent. There have been made provision for
the timely distribution of the allotted relief funds as per the previous decision in
other remaining districts as well as soon as possible.

21. Ministry of Home Affairs has deployed two separate teams under the leadership
of Joint-Secretary for Kailali and Kanchanpur, which comprised gazette officers.

22. The District Disaster Relief Committee has been on the process of collecting and
compiling the facts and data regarding the damages of the physical properties
including other losses in the disaster affected areas and its regular updates will be
disseminated in the future.
APPENDIX-1: IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
Rescue and Relief Activities

 Rescue activities were jointly carried out by mobilizing the army helicopters, road
transport, local community people, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police and
People’s Liberation Army (PLAs).

 15/15 temporary camps have been created in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts for
the shelter of the displaced people.

 Daily consumable utilities i.e. rice and vegetables as well as none-consumable

stuffs such as tents, blankets, kitchen utensils and pots, were distributed for the
displaced people in the camps through the District Disaster Relief Committee.

 Dried-foods, medicines and other necessary stuffs were provided via helicopters.

Inspection and Monitoring

 An inspection and monitoring team, comprising with the Member of Parliament

(MPs), who represent from the flood-affected constitution areas, visited the
regions under the leadership of the honorable Labor and Transport Minister on 25
September 2008.

 Home Minister or then Acting Prime Minister visited the fields in inspecting and
monitoring the relief management activities on 26 September 2008.

 Ministry of Home Affairs deployed two rescue-relief management facilitator

teams, which also comprised the gazette officers, under the leadership of Joint-
Secretary for Kailali and Kanchanpur.

Problems and Challenges

 The floods and disasters covered wider areas

 Psycho-socio impact
 Victim identification machinery
 Relief distribution for affected target families
 Reconstruction of public infrastructures at local level
 Reconstruction of livelihoods related infrastructures
 Resettlements of displaced families
 Realistic and detailed data collection
  Cooperation from political parties and civil society for reconstruction activities
 Sectoral responsibility realization and mobilization of coordinated cooperation
APPENDIX-2: DAMAGE PARTICULARS

Table-1: Number of Death

District Died Person Remarks
(Number)
Kailali 14
Kanchanpur 12 4 Missing
Dadeldhura 3
Bajura 1
Doti 5
Salyan 1
Bajhang 4
Darchula 1
Total Persons Died = 41

Table-2: Affected/Displaced Families And Damaged Houses

District Affected Displaced Damaged
(Family) (Family) (House)
Kailali 16,657
Kanchanpur 24,971 4,905 500 completely
damaged
Bardiya 1,245 175 701 Sunk, 129
entirely damaged
Dadeldhura 681
Doti 5
Bajhang 35

Table-3: Immediate Response

S District Amount
N (Million)
1 Accham 1.5
2 Bajhang 0.5
3 Bajura 2
4 Bardiya 0.5
5 Dadeldhura 1
6 Darchula 0.5
7 Doti 0.5
8 Gulmi 1
9 Kailali 5
1 Kalikot 2
0
1 Kanchanpur 3
1
1 Salyan 0.5
2
1 Sankhuwashabha 0.5
3
Total NRs 17.5 Million