Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Nepal faces a massive recovery operation following last week’s deadly flash floods, with millions of tons of debris, damaged infrastructure and isolated communities complicating humanitarian efforts, the United Nations said Tuesday.
One of the most pressing challenges is reaching communities cut off by the disaster. More than 40 bridges were destroyed and sections of a major highway remain blocked, forcing some remote areas to depend on military helicopters for supplies.
Displacement has added to the humanitarian burden. About 3,500 people are staying across 27 temporary sites in Nuwakot and Rasuwa, including schools that have been converted into shelters and are consequently unable to hold regular classes.
The UN also raised concerns over deteriorating health conditions. Crowded shelters, unsafe water supplies and damaged medical facilities could increase the spread of disease during the monsoon, with women and children among those facing heightened risks.
Cleanup operations are expected to be extensive. An initial assessment by the UN Development Programme placed debris along the worst-affected river system at no less than 2.2 million tonnes. About 556,200 tonnes were linked to more than 2,300 damaged buildings assessed through satellite imagery.
Nepal’s energy infrastructure also sustained significant losses. Flood damage affected 11 operating hydropower facilities and one solar plant representing about 431.1 megawatts of capacity, as well as 15 hydropower projects still under construction.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said authorities were intensifying relief and recovery work as the emergency moved beyond its initial rescue phase. More than 1,000 bodies had been recovered, nearly 12,000 people rescued and about 3,900 remained unaccounted for.
Separate official figures from Nepal and China showed the broader disaster across the Himalayan border region had killed more than 1,050 people as of Tuesday, with over 4,000 still missing, including hundreds of foreigners.