KATHMANDU, March 28: The United Nations Development Program, with funding from the Chinese government, has provided recovery support to over 31,800 families in Nepal affected by the 2017 floods, the global body said on Tuesday.

The UNDP Nepal had, in January, launched the post-flood recovery project in seven most-affected districts of Terai – Sunsari, Saptari, Sarlahi, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Rautahat and Parsa of Provinces 1 and 2 in the southern part of the country following a USD 4 million grant agreement signed with the government of China. The assistance was provided under the framework of the Chinese South- South Cooperation Assistance Fund, the UNDP — UN’s global development network — said in the statement.

The agency announced the final achievements of the recovery project at a closing ceremony in the capital, in the presence of representatives from the Nepal government, the Chinese Embassy in the country and local governments of the project’s target districts, it said.

In August last year, the Terai region experienced the heaviest rainfall recorded in the past 60 years, resulting in widespread flooding across 35 districts. Around 160 people lost their lives, over 43,000 houses were destroyed, 1,92,000 houses partially damaged and more than 21,000 families displaced in the floods. Over 80 percent of land in the southern plains of Nepal was inundated during the deluge. A post-flood assessment conducted by the Nepal government found that 1.7 million people were hit by the disaster.

KATHMANDU, Nov 13: A preliminary report has stated that the total damage caused by this year’s flood is approximately Rs 60.71 billion.

The National Planning Commission (NPC) on Monday submitted a report to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on the need of recovery of the damages and losses caused by the 2017 floods.

The report states that nine most affected sectors are placed under three categories including social, productive and infrastructure sectors, NPC Vice Chairperson Dr Swarnim Wagle said.

The nine sectors are housing, health, education, agriculture, livestock, irrigation, transport, water and sanitation, and energy. Dr Wagle said that Rs 73.24 billion is expected to cost for the recovery of the affected areas.

He also said that short-term, mid-term and long-term strategies would be implemented for the recovery of the losses caused due to the floods.

Dr Wagle said that he submitted the report with necessary framework to address the risks adding that it would be implemented through a special unit of the National Reconstruction Authority established for the rehabilitation of the flood affected communities.

In the floods, 35 districts across the country were affected including 18 worst hit district of Tarai. RSS