Flood disaster in Nepal: people lose everything!

At the end of September, a storm caused flooding in Kathmandu and the region south of the capital. This region also includes the project villages that Michael Höschele's association has supported for over 20 years. The flooding led to the destruction of roads, houses, bridges and power lines. In the mountainous regions there were slips and collapses of buildings.

The mountainous region of Lurpung, about 40 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu, was also affected. The Himalayan Project has built ten schools, a teacher's house, roads and electricity and water pipes in Lurpung in recent years. The first school, built in 2009, suffered damage from heavy rain; the foundation sank and a landslide damaged a wall.

Damage and emergency relief measures

Part of the school is still usable, but is not enough for around 200 students up to grade 10. 25 families in Lurpung lost their homes and are being supported with emergency aid, including rice, lentils, oil, salt, sugar, tea, tents, blankets and mattresses. The infrastructure was severely damaged; a prestressed concrete bridge was washed away and electricity pylons were snapped. In addition, the road to Lurpung was severely damaged by landslides, affecting bus services and ambulance services.

Two excavators are in use to repair the road to Lurpung; The association has provided 10,000 euros for this. A further 2,000 euros are earmarked for replacing the foundations of the broken electricity pylons. The water pipe, which was laid in recent years, remained undamaged. Donations from the “Schwäbische Zeitung” Christmas campaign will be used to renovate the damaged school building, while part of the proceeds from a fundraising run at the Ochsenhausen high school will also be used for the renovation. The final costs for the renovation cannot yet be quantified; The focus is currently on emergency aid.

Another report noted that Kathmandu recently struggled with severe flooding caused by record rainfall. Over 200 people died, with the exact number given as 228 deaths. At least 25 people are reported missing and 158 are injured. The rain fell between Thursday and Sunday, with around 240mm of rainfall recorded in Kathmandu Valley while some areas recorded up to 322.2mm.

The current flood is reportedly the worst in many years, with significant impacts also in the tourist center of Pokhara, which is over 200 kilometers from Kathmandu. Rescue efforts are underway, with over 4,000 people rescued by police, paramilitary forces and the army using helicopters, ziplines and inflatable boats. Damaged infrastructure and blocked roads complicate rescue operations.

Experts attribute the severity of the current flood events to unplanned urban development along the Bagmati River and inadequate preparedness for natural disasters. Urbanization has led to river narrowing and increased surface runoff, while deforestation has reduced the land's ability to absorb water. Approximately 10% of Nepal's urban population lives in informal settlements, with vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, disproportionately affected by the floods.