Kathmandu: Families hardest hit by the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood will receive Rs. 100,000 each in cash assistance from the Nepal Red Cross Society to meet immediate needs and support recovery efforts.
The assistance will be provided under the Samunnati Programme, implemented by the Ministry of Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Security.
An agreement to provide the assistance was signed between the Ministry and the Nepal Red Cross Society on Tuesday in the presence of Minister Sita Badi. Acting Secretary Chakra Bahadur Budha signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry, while Nepal Red Cross Society Chairman Dr. Bishal Kumar Bhandari signed on behalf of the Society.
An initial estimate puts the number of beneficiary families at around 6,000 across 63 flood-affected districts.
Beneficiaries to Be Verified
Nepal Red Cross Society General Secretary Rishiraman Khanal said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority will provide the list of affected families. The Red Cross will then identify and verify the beneficiaries before depositing the assistance directly into their bank accounts.
The cash can be used according to families’ immediate needs, including food, clothing, healthcare and sanitation, essential household items, transportation, communication and livelihood support.
Priority will be given to women-headed households, persons with disabilities, children requiring special care, senior citizens, marginalized communities, gender and sexual minorities, and other vulnerable families.
The Nepal Red Cross Society has been providing humanitarian assistance since the Bhotekoshi flood, which claimed scores of lives and caused extensive property damage in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan.
Its response has included multipurpose cash assistance, shelter support, water and sanitation services, mental health assistance, protection, community engagement and inclusion.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have also been supporting post-disaster efforts, including the search for missing persons and management of the deceased.
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