Nepalese & Indian Communities in Crisis as Kosi River Changes Course

On August 18, the eastern embankment of the Kosi River in Nepal breached. The result has been human tragedy across two countries, Nepal and India, where the flood waters have displaced 2.5 million people.

Unlike other floods in recent years, this flood will have a broader impact because the Kosi River appears to have permanently changed course, now flowing into a once dry river bed that has not held water since the 1800s. Due to this change, immediate relief for this disaster will need to be followed up with permanent resettlement for towns that find themselves in the path of the river's waters.

In Nepal approximately 50,000 people have been affected because of the floods as the Kosi has submerged four village developments in Sunsari district - Kusaha, Haripur, Shripur and Laukihi. The floods have damaged millions of dollars in crops and swept away a section of the East-West Highway in the Bhantabari area, bringing the movement of vehicles on this main roadway of Nepal to a complete halt.

Nepal Army helicopters have rescued hundreds of people trapped in the flood waters. But conditions have forced rescuers to abandon some of their air rescue and set up ropeways and utilize boats and elephants to help those trapped by the flood. Rescued people have been housed in schools, colleges and temples while aid organizations have begun providing food to shelters.

In Bihar, India, 2.5 to 3 million people and 725 villages have been affected, with one million people reportedly trapped between surging waters. Hundreds of Indian army troops are using helicopters and boats to deliver supplies and rescue villagers stranded by what is described there as the worst flooding in decades. To date, 95 relief shelters have been set up, 44 health-care camps and 22 shelters for livestock.

Standing crops like paddy, madua, patua or parsan in the affected areas have been completely destroyed. Huge population of livestock have also been affected, and farm and grazing land may be permanently lost under the river's new course.

Give2Asia has established a Kosi River Flood Relief Fund to support immediate relief and to begin funding long-term recovery for those villages and farms who have lost everything due to the permanent change in the river's location.