Flooding and Landslides - Nepal
Female participation is the key to successful water, sanitation and hygiene projects implemented by Oxfam Australia © Oxfam Australia
In August 2017, prolonged heavy rain in southern Nepal triggered flooding and landslides across more than a third of the country. Tragically, 160 people died. A further 21,000 people were displaced and 235,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. At the height of the flooding, the United Nations estimated that more than 1.7 million people had been affected.
The AHP Response
The Australian Government committed AUD 1 million in humanitarian assistance, to be delivered through the AHP between October 2017 and September 2018. Plan International Australia and Oxfam Australia in partnership with World Vision were selected to lead two separate responses, each worth AUD 500,000.
Basic non-food items were included in distributions to flood-impacted communities as part of the Plan International Australia project © Plan International Australia
Plan International Australia’s response focused on establishing safe learning environments for displaced children and students of schools that were either damaged or destroyed, improving access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and ensuring child and community protection mechanisms were in place.
Oxfam Australia and World Vision focused on providing safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities
and nutrition for children and pregnant and lactating mothers.
The AHP response reached almost 68,000 people in four heavily impacted districts. Women represented 52 percent of those reached and children 44 percent. A more detailed summary of the response is available here.
Response Highlights
The risk of waterborne disease outbreaks was mitigated in target districts.
Child malnutrition rates remained stable.
Disruptions to education were minimised.
Adolescent girls were provided access to safe places and protection-related information.
Disability-friendly and flood-resistant model toilets were built in six schools.