Here’s what you need to know...
How serious is this?
The flood waters stretch across 1,500 kilometres of territory. Millions of people are facing hunger, homelessness, lost livelihoods and the threat of waterborne disease. Of the 45 million people impacted, 16 million are children. More than 1,288 people have died. Aid agencies including World Vision are on the ground responding.
What are the risks to children?
Not only are the flood waters extremely dangerous but drinking wells have been contaminated and stagnant water is a breeding ground for disease. Children are particularly at risk of diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, lung infections, malaria and dengue fever. For many, their homes and schools have been washed away.
Parents who’ve lost their livliehoods, may be forced to pull their children out of school and send them to work. Daughters could be forced into early marriage if their families cannot provide for them. Traffickers deliberately target the most vulnerable, with girls living in areas along the Nepal-India border at particular risk.
How is World Vision responding?
World Vision is working to meet the immediate survival needs of tens of thousands of children and their families. The aid and development agency is providing:
- Food assistance
- Clean water
- Hygiene kits
- Kitchen sets
- Temporary shelters
- Emergency cash grants
The aftereffects of this emergency will be felt for some time. Families will need continued help to rebuild their homes and get back on their feet.
How you can help
“Hundreds of thousands of hectares of village and farmland are flooded. Millions of children are living in appalling conditions. People are now facing a future of terrible poverty if we don’t stand with them to get them back on their feet. So much needs to be done,” says World Vision’s humanitarian response director for Asia, Jimmy Nadapdap.
You can help by keeping those affected in your prayers and donating via your local World Vision office.