KATHMANDU, Oct 14: A coalition of six rights organisations has urged the government to announce an immediate, concrete, and time-bound programme to rehabilitate flood victims and support their long-term recovery following devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi, Kaligandaki, and Budhi Gandaki rivers.
In a joint appeal issued on October 13, the organizations acknowledged the government’s rescue, relief and infrastructure restoration efforts but called for better coordination among the three tiers of government and stronger disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
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The groups urged the government to prepare an updated record of deaths, missing persons, injuries, property losses and displaced families, and to prioritize safe temporary and permanent housing, livelihood support, education, healthcare and psychosocial services.
They also called for special social protection for children who have lost parents, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with chronic illnesses. The appeal stressed that affected communities must participate meaningfully in decisions on rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The organizations called for an integrated Bhotekoshi disaster recovery and reconstruction programme with clear deadlines, budgets and responsibilities. They also sought an independent study of the causes of the floods and the effectiveness of early warning and preparedness measures, as well as policy and institutional reforms to reduce future disaster risks.
Other recommendations include identifying safe areas for resettlement, providing free replacement of legal documents lost in the floods, and strengthening protection against human trafficking and gender-based violence.
The appeal was signed by Raju Prasad Chapagain of the Accountability Watch Committee; Nirajan Thapaliya of Amnesty International Nepal; Jagat Deuja of the Community Self-Reliance Centre; Tanuja Basnet of JuRI-Nepal; Bhagawati Adhikari of the Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj; and Lyam Bahadur Darji of the National Land Rights Forum.