Situation Report 2: Nepal Flood – Saptari District (18 July 2019) Assessment conducted jointly by DCA and Koshi Victim Society (KVS). Data gathered from 11 July 2019 with assessment completed on 16, 17 and 18 July 2019. This report is produced by DCA Nepal, based on field assessment of affected municipalities, and additional meetings held with humanitarian agencies, local NGOs, and government officials. Summary » Floods caused by heavy rainfall in Nepal have been resulting in 90 dead, 29 missing, and 41 injured (Ministry of Home Affairs, 18 July). Properties, rice crops and livelihoods have also been lost. » Flood water has inundated thousands of houses along the high raised road and embankment areas, leaving at least 11,839 households temporarily displaced (UN Sit Rep – July 18, 2019). » The District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) report shows that 13 of 18 municipalities in Saptari district are affected by floods and water logging, of which five are rural municipalities. » According to the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), Saptari district is assessed to be one of the most hard- hit areas. No fatalities have been recorded yet. » DCA as a District Lead Support Agency (DLSA) of Saptari district, is supporting in enhancing coordination among aid agencies and government bodies as well as facilitating information sharing about flood adversities. 1 | P a g e Situation Overview On 17 July, the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), Saptari reported that 4,500 houses were affected by floodwater. Of these, 1,500 houses are severely damaged. DDMC has recommended that relief agencies go directly to the affected municipalities and coordinate with Local Government for relief distribution. The Saptari district Local Government has coordinated the distribution of 1,800 tarpaulins, 2,000 kilograms of rice, and 400 kilograms of pulses. Additionally, municipality offices have distributed several hundred tarpaulins, while the Saptari chapter of the Nepal Red Cross Society distributed relief packages for 70 families (clothes, utensils, tarpaulin, water purifying tablets and food items). The modality of aid mapping and assistance in the new federal structure has changed. Prior to the Federal structure, reporting lines was from the district to the National Government. All the data was collected and assessed at the district level by the Disaster Emergency Operation Centre (DEOC). With the new federal structure, the Local Government in the municipal level coordinates directly with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA). Data therefore needs to be collected in the municipal level, which is challenging. Lack of data is one of the biggest hurdles for response interventions as of July 18, 2019. In one of the affected municipality Tilathi Koilathi, the Local Government have started initiating temporary management of dams to avoid further damage by potential flood in the coming weeks. Below are the current gaps identified by DCA during field visits to three municipalities; Saptakoshi Municipality, Hanumannagar Kankalini Municipality and Tilathi Koilathi Rural Municipality. Assessment per sector 1. Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Tube wells are the main source of drinking water in the flood affected areas. Flood water has contaminated the ground water supplies. With absence of latrine facility, sanitation and hygiene has become an issue, with open defecation near settlements were people are seeking shelter. Fresh drinking water is contaminated with human excrement. Despite the availability of aqua tabs in health facilities, people are drinking contaminated 2 | P a g e water. Some areas have started witnessing cases of fever and diarrheal disease. Municipalities and Rural Municipalities have also stressed on the need to support access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. Immediate Action: Disinfecting the existing tube wells is required, including ‘pre and post’ water quality tests. A supply of emergency portable water through the establishment of a water point (hill take tanks) using aqua tab purification should be set up. Where possible, Piyush (liquid water purification) rather than aqua tabs should be supplied as this is preferred by the community. The construction of temporary latrines, even before formal settlements are set up is necessary to prevent further open defecation to prevent water borne diseases. Early warning reporting on epidemic outbreaks should be prioritized, alongside hygiene promotion. 2. Shelter The most affected municipalities are Saptakoshi, Hanumannagar Kankalini, and Tilathi Koiladi Rural Municipality (1,000+ households affected in each). In all locations, flooding has also damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and embankments. In Ward No 3 of Saptakoshi Municipality, the embankment of Triyuga river has been breached which has led to displacement of 27 households who require immediate shelter. They are currently taking shelter in a nearby school. Most of the affected households are living in informal settlements in overcrowded high ground areas along highways and embankments. Flood survivors are living under tarpaulins. Immediate Action: Tarpaulins should be distributed as a temporary emergency measure for shelter, and for the protection of cattle. Improved temporary Shelter is an urgent need following tarpaulin distribution. Clothes and blankets must be distributed as households lost these items when their homes were destroyed. 3. Food and nutrition District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) and municipality authorities are still struggling to reach displaced households with adequate food supply. Beaten rice that had been provided to the displaced households is nearly finished. Children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers are not receiving nutritionally adequate food. As per the UN SitRep of July 18, 2019, “the Nutrition cluster has initiated rapid nutrition assessments in five flood-affected districts (Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari and Rautahat districts). In flood affected areas of Province 2, the treatment of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) has been ongoing from 157 Outpatient Therapeutic Centers (OTC) and three Nutrition Rehabilitation Homes (NRH). The OTCs and NRHs can treat children with malnutrition if identified after rapid assessment and mass screening. The cluster is therefore well-placed to respond.” Immediate Action: Food distribution to meet people’s basic calorific needs must be prioritised. This is alongside nutritionally adequate food for groups such as lactating mothers, pregnant women, children under 5, and elderly people. Together with our partners we're supporting the flood survivors. Right now, our immediate focus is on access to clean water and sanitation. Here's a first-hand account of flood survivors in some of the areas in Saptarihttps://www.facebook.com/DanChurchAid/videos/2160864024203512/ For comments or questions please contact: [email protected] ---END--- 3 | P a g e .