Relief to flood-prone people in Kailali

The flood-prone families of Tikapur and Janaki Rural Municipality of Kailali will get relief under the flood preparedness program based on disaster forecasting. Relief will be provided to 4,519 families of Tikapur and Janaki.

According to the Nepal Red Cross Society, three thousand 12 families of Tikapur and one thousand five hundred seven families of Janki will get cash assistance. They will be distributed at the rate of Rs 15,000 per family. According to the disaster forecast based on the weather forecast, the communities at risk will receive cash assistance after the flood is reported. The relief will be provided to help people move to a safe place before the flood and to purchase essential daily necessities in a safe place. The aid will be distributed in three phases.

Minister of Nepal Red Cross Society Kailali Lokraj Joshi informed that 60 percent of the families will be given funds in the first phase, 20 percent in the second phase, and 20 percent in the third phase. "After the flood warning of the Meteorological Department, the families at risk of Karnali river will be given cash assistance to move to safer places", he said. "This will help vulnerable families to stay safe and purchase essential goods."

In the past, flood victims were given relief goods after the flood. There is a practice of rescuing and giving relief materials after a flood. Hemraj Upreti, the program coordinator of Red Cross Kailali, says that if they give cash instead of goods, they will help to buy the necessary goods themselves. He said, "We have prepared statistics by going to the local level and monitoring the coastal areas that are at risk of the river." 

Tikapur Municipality Deputy Chief Khadak Bahadur Shah complained that the Red Cross did not coordinate with the municipality while collecting data. "It would have been easier if the data had been collected in coordination with the municipality", he said. "There is a fear that giving aid will cause conflict in the community. Complaints increase in the municipality when some get it and some don't", he added. City chief Ramlal Dagaura Tharu said that if 60 percent is given in the first phase and 40 percent is given later, there may be a problem. "Instead, let's reduce the amount of aid, some families will get it in the first phase, some will get it in the second phase, and it will be difficult to remind the citizens", he said.

Uttam Joshi, chairman of Red Cross Kailali, mentioned that the World Food Program chose Kailali after many requests and said that this study has also started to study the impact of giving before the flood and the impact on the community after giving. Ritesh Shrestha of the World Food Program said that based on the information before the flood, assistance has been started to those who are at risk of the Karnali River. "The cash assistance program is also in other districts. 28 thousand families across the country will get cash assistance", he said.