Mobilizing a Response to Nepal Landslide & Flash Floods
Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Team will be on the ground in Nepal by Thursday, coordinating with local partners and officials in response to today’s deadly flash floods and landslides. Coming without warning, a glacier avalanche near the border between Nepal and China sent tons of rock and ice into nearby rivers, triggering massive floods, powerful landslides, and registering a force equal to a 5.2-magnitude earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Project HOPE’s emergency response experts will conduct a rapid needs assessment to identify the greatest health and humanitarian needs in affected communities.
Initial reports put the death toll over 150, with figures expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Hundreds more are reported missing, including tourists from as many as 27 different countries, including the United States. Many visitors in the affected area were there for the Nepali festival of Janai Purnima on Friday or on pilgrimage to Tibet’s Mount Kailash, a sacred site for Hindus.
So far, there have been significant impacts to critical infrastructure, including an airport, major roads, bridges, and electricity systems. Deadly disasters that come without warning can devastate communities and leave lasting fears among survivors.
“The compounding impact of the mudslides and flash floods has been devastating for the local communities in Nepal and China,” said Chris Skopec, Project HOPE’s President. “Our response experts will assess the damage on the ground, identify the most urgent health gaps, and work alongside local partners to deliver support where it is most needed.”
Project HOPE has extensive experience in Nepal, spanning emergency response and longer-term health programming. In 2015, Project HOPE responded to the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake. In 2016 and 2017, Project HOPE expanded programming to maternal and child health initiatives and led trainings and distributed medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
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