A-PAD Reaches Remote Communities in Rasuwa, Nepal with Relief Supplies
Following its initial field assessment in Devighat and Bidur, the team on the ground in Nepal undertook an arduous journey into the flood-affected interior to deliver relief supplies directly to displaced communities cut off by the disaster. After securing the necessary permits from local government officials in Bidur, the team set out by road toward Betrawati in Rasuwa district, carrying a truckload of food and non-food items.
With the main route through Bidur washed away, the team was forced onto a rougher alternate road toward Kalikasthan, a journey that tested both the vehicle and the team over narrow, rocky terrain in the rain. At points, rising floodwater brought the truck to a complete standstill, forcing the team to wait inside the vehicle for hours as water rose toward the floorboards before it was safe to continue. Despite these conditions, the team pressed on through the night and reached Kalikasthan the following morning, delivering relief items to a local school now serving as a government distribution point.
The school currently shelters 550 students, 120 of whom have lost family members in the disaster. Speaking with residents at a nearby safety centre, the team found that the needs go far beyond food: having lost their homes and livelihoods in addition to loved ones, families require nearly everything to rebuild daily life, including hygiene kits, bedding and blankets, cooking gas, clothing and solar-powered lighting.
The team went on to Betrawati, where the flood has caused near-total destruction, sweeping away the highway, three schools, government offices, shops and homes. The river, swollen with sludge and debris, now spans several hundred metres in places, a stark measure of the scale of what communities here are up against.
Separately, a medical team from A-PAD Bangladesh has been providing support at Trishuli Bazar. Working alongside personnel at the Nepal Army’s Military Training Centre, which has been converted into a field hospital, the team has supplied medicines for non-communicable diseases including diabetes, hypertension and asthma, along with treatments for common ailments, face masks, antibacterial soap and sanitary hygiene products.
A-PAD continues to coordinate closely with local authorities as access to affected areas remains limited, and is assessing how best to sustain support through both the immediate relief phase and eventual recovery.
