KATHMANDU, 26 August 2008 (IRIN) - Over 40,000 people have been displaced by flooding in Nepal's Sunsari District, 500km southeast of Kathmandu, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), and aid agencies say they and the displaced are facing mounting challenges.

Newly elected Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal and President Ram Baran Yadav have made official visits to the area, underscoring the seriousness of the situation: Such flooding has not been seen in the eastern Terai region for decades.

The Himalayan Times website on 25 August said the floods in Sunsari District had washed away crops worth 300m rupees [US$4.2 million].

"The situation is quite messy and there is a heavy influx of displaced families in the transit camps," Sanjeev Kafle, director of the disaster unit of the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) [See: http://www.nrcs.org/], a national humanitarian agency, told IRIN in Kathmandu.

The flow of emergency relief aid has been increasing, but the challenges are growing, according to local and international disaster relief non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

25 camps

The main problem is getting aid to families living in over 25 camps scattered throughout the Sunsari and neighbouring Saptari districts. Each camp has been temporarily catering for 200-2,000 people, according to NGOs.

Government officials in Sunsari said they were trying to identify land on which to build shelters to accommodate the families, estimating that it would take a good 2-3 weeks to do that.

Up till now most of the camps have been in schools (Islamic and secular) or on campuses.

"Emergency shelter continues to be one of the greatest needs at present. It may be required for 3-4 months. Many of the shelters are still overcrowded and there is a shortage of adequate sleeping mats (especially for children), private areas, separated areas, bathrooms for women and toilet facilities," said the most recent situation report [INSERT LINK: http://www.un.org.np/ocha-situation-updates/2008/2008-08-24-OCHA-FloodsUpdate5.pdf] by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nepal.

Health concerns

Meanwhile, some NGOs have expressed concern about the risk of disease outbreaks in the camps, especially given the growing numbers seeking assistance.

"Until now, not even half of the affected families have come for aid as they are living with relatives and trying to cope… but gradually more victims are now approaching [us] for help and their numbers are growing," warned one local aid worker requesting anonymity.

The government's Department of Health Services (DOHS) [see: http://www.dhs.gov.np/Default.aspx?SID=2 ] said there were sufficient medical supplies prepositioned in both the capital and the District Health Office (DHO), and that the Regional Health Directorate and DHO were effectively coordinating with local agencies.

But health workers said not enough was being done to improve sanitation and provide safe drinking water, increasing the risk of diarrhoea.

"We are concerned about the maternal health of expectant mothers and the health of the infants who have special needs," Bhim Kumari Pun, regional programme team leader for Save the Children, [see: http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/asia/nepal.html] told IRIN in Sunsari. She said more needed to be done to help these groups.

The agency has helped to distribute clothes and food to over 2,000 children, and is distributing family kits (including blankets, utensils, clothes and mattresses) to over 1,100 families.

Meanwhile, the privately-owned Nepalese eKantipur.com website on 25 August said Indian bandits were exploiting the chaos to rob passengers on local roads in Sunsari District after the River Saptakoshi swept away a section of the East-West Highway.

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