At least 13 people trapped in raging floodwaters from recent monsoon rains in Nepal are alive today because their swift-acting, skilled neighbors were ready, able and equipped to come to their rescue.
Thousands more were saved because a recently implemented early-warning system alerted them that they needed to evacuate their homes as the Kamala River was rising to a dangerous level. At least 200 of those evacuees rushed to a shelter built to withstand the rising and rushing flood water.
The multi-story shelter, which was completed in late 2018, is handicap-accessible, accommodates more than 200 people and even has space for livestock.
Children and their families find safe space in temporary shelter
Seasonal floods affect more than 10 million people in Nepal and India every year. In July 2019 alone, flooding and landslides from strong monsoon rains have killed at least 90 people in Nepal and forced more than 11,800 families from their homes.
The numbers might have been higher, if not for the lifesaving measures that you are putting in place for communities along the flood-prone border between India and Nepal. The communities you reach are economically depressed and geographically isolated with little outside communication.
Seasonal monsoons impact millions in Nepal, India and Bangladesh
The early warning gave them sufficient time to reach the shelter,” says Hira Dhar Chudali, Lutheran World Relief’s program manager in Nepal. “Others were able to get to safety as well because they were warned and got to safe places.”
Narayan Gyawali, program director with Lutheran World Relief, reports that the communities where Lutheran World Relief is operating did not have any human casualties and experienced less damage to their homes and property in comparison to other communities in the river basin.
Early warning system allows families to seek safety
The early warning system has doubled the speed of real-time flood warning information from 48 hours to only 24 hours — and even less in some cases.
You’re also helping families build up savings to get through low income periods because of lost crops and livestock. And you’re helping farming families grow flood-resistant crops. To learn more about how your support is helping families prepare for and bounce back better from floods, check out Six Pillars of a Transboundary Flood Resilient Community.
Emergency shelter has space for livestock
Thank you for being the life vest for entire communities that face deadly floods every year. So far, 178 communities in India and Nepal are more protected from deadly flooding than they ever have been before.
As this important and effective work continues, your support means Lutheran World Relief is prepared to respond to the immediate needs of families affected by the July 2019 floods. With your help, we’re ready to provide food and temporary shelter, as well as seeds to farming families whose crops were washed away.
You can respond to the immediate needs of families affected by the July 2019 floods with a gift to our World of Good Fund, which reaches families in crisis around the world with what they need most right now.
Partnership India-Nepal
We invite your congregation to live out God’s call to serve and:
- respond where needs are great and where you can truly improve and transform lives,
- connect with the women, men and children you reach,
- see the invaluable role you play and the difference you are making,
- and maximize the impact of your generosity.
Your support will provide essential lifesaving tools, including sirens and megaphones so disaster management committees can alert their towns to oncoming floodwater and mobile phones so communities can send text messages to neighboring villages. You’ll help families get on a path to a better quality of life by teaching them how to grow flood-resistant crops and how to pool their resources for improved financial stability.