OCHA Situation Report No. 10
Nepal: Koshi River Floods in Sunsari and Saptari
6 October 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Highlights:

- Inter-agency assessment reveals more than 72% of the displaced have 
received assistance, yet only 15% of displaced in host families are being 
assisted.

- Concerns persist over lack of coherent registration policy, and 
equitable assistance to displaced in host families.

- Food distributions delayed due to slow delivery from local suppliers.

- Alternate shelter sites still not identified, causing over-crowding in 
current shelter sites and poor service provision.

I. Situation in Sunsari and Saptari Districts, Eastern Nepal

1) More than a month after the breach of the Koshi River eastern 
embankment on 18 August, the East West highway still remains impassable. 
Many displaced families are living along the embankment wall and in 
neighbouring VDCs of Saptari district (particularly Bhardah and 
Hanumanagar VDCs) that were not flooded.

2) Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates approximately 70,000 people 
have been affected by flooding in the area. According to the preliminary 
results of the Multi agency Koshi River Flood Impact assessment, 66,500 
individuals have been displaced by the flood, of which 42% are of Indian 
origin.

3) In Saptari District, according to the latest registration done by the 
Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) volunteers and the District Administration 
Office (DAO), 20,284 Nepalis (4,186 families) have been displaced. 
Confirmation of the number of the number of Indians currently receiving 
humanitarian assistance is ongoing. Data entry for the registration is 
being done by students from St. Xaviers College and the District Electoral 
Office. Progress on the same will be available in the first weeks of 
October.

4) The Sunsari District Government registration report of 21 September 
mentions 43,917 displaced individuals (7,597 Households) of which 6,576 
are Indian Nationals. They are living in 29 recognized camps. The majority 
of Indians displaced in VDCs south of the highway have returned back to 
India, though a residual displaced population remains.

5) A new displaced population of approximately 500 people in host families 
and collective centers in Guski VDC of Sunsari has been identified. 
Registration and services have not reached this population.

6) Current response priorities include responding to immediate needs such 
as food, temporary shelter, sanitation facilities, temporary schooling 
arrangements and protection concerns, especially of women and children. 
Government cluster leads are taking an active role in the efforts 
supported by humantiarian agencies.

II. Ongoing Humanitarian Response

7) From 12-17 September, an interagency assessment in all 12 
flood-affected VDCs of Sunsari and Saptari districts was conducted to 
support a humanitarian response plan that complements the government's 
relief plan. Key findings of the preliminary report include:

- One third of the affected population is Muslim and eighteen percent are 
Dalits. Of these, only 35% have received a government identity card.

- More than 72% of the displaced people currently receive humanitarian 
assistance.

- Humanitarian aid is focussed mainly on people based in established 
camps. Only 15% of the displaced who live with host families are currently 
being assisted, forcing those living outside camps to find additional 
coping strategies.

- The acute malnutrition rate among displaced children under 5 years of 
age is 13% and another third are at risk of being malnourished.

8) On September 30, the District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC) in 
Saptari started providing cash support to IDPs to celebrate Dashain and 
Ramadan-Eid. Families with less than five members received NPR 800 and 
those with more than five received NPR 1,000. At the OCHA-faciliated 
coordination meeting on October 2, the DAO reported that 3,500 families 
had received money . DDRC meetings have been suspended until after Dashain 
(12 October).

9) Actors on the ground: At the central level, the Central Natural 
Disaster Relief Committee (CNDRC) oversees the process of flood response 
from the Government of Nepal. A Regional Disaster Relief Committee as well 
as District Disaster Relief Committees (DDRC) in both Sunsari and Saptari 
supports the CNDRC.

10) OCHA has prepared a Who What Where Report for both Sunsari and Saptari 
Districts. This report is available on the OCHA website .

11) NFI: Saptari ? NRCS so far distributed a total of 4,437 cooking 
utensils in camps A, B, C and D. Camp E will soon receive the sets. 
Norwegian Refugee Council is to provide 100 NFI sets through NRCS. Gaps 
still exist in distribution, especially families from India, who have 
reportedly received food but do not have utensils to do cooking.

12) Firewood distribution was completed in camp A, B and D1. A total of 
1,352 families received 25 kg (estimated for 10 days). A second round of 
distribution in camp A, B and C is scheduled for this week as well as to 
other planned camps. Firewood is collected from local Community Forest 
Users Groups by the Department of Forestry and distributed in the camps by 
the Camp Management Committees. A total of 2,851 families reiceved battery 
lights in camps D1, D2, I, J, K and L.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=C2EEE68D88C7E048C12574DA002D0D6D&file=Full_Report.pdf

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