Heifer Nepal Assessing Severe Flood Damage

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (July 27, 2016) – Heifer Nepal is assessing damage to project sites in Midwestern Nepal after heavy rainfall triggered mudslides and flooding there. The flooding comes just a little more than a year after the country experienced its largest earthquake in 80 years.

"Water levels started to increase in the Rapti river since Tuesday morning and entered villages in Banke and Dang districts, displacing 900 families,” said Sumnima Shrestha, Heifer Nepal’s communication and resource mobilization manager. It appeared as though our projects were seriously affected, the report from staff said.

While the floods have damaged roads and other infrastructure, the effect on livestock is not yet known. Heifer Nepal is gathering more information on the status of families and their animals.

Heifer currently works in eight districts affected by the flooding and landslides. People there have gathered in the highlands and at schools to escape the rising waters. Fattepur, one area where we work, experienced severe flooding just a few years ago.

Nepal’s Home Ministry reported that the flooding and landslides killed at least 54 people and at least 20 more are missing. At least 14 of the country’s 75 districts have been affected by the floods.

A report from Heifer Nepal said that soldiers and volunteers were using rubber boats to rescue people, and that they were using helicopters to drop food supplies.

For updated information, please check Heifer International’s blog.

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Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For more than 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in nearly 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. Heifer’s Global Impact Goal is to help 4 million families achieve living incomes by 2020. For information, visit Heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @Heifer or call 888.5HUNGER (888.548.6437).