Over 90,000 affected by Himalayan landslide, Red Cross says, as Nepal declines foreign rescue help

Notably, Nepal's foreign ministry said it does not need foreign assistance for search-and-rescue operations following the devastating flash flood that swept through several towns.

More than 90,000 people are estimated to be directly affected by the Himalayan landslide and urgently need humanitarian assistance, the Red Cross said on Friday, as aid officials voiced fears of further flooding.

"We believe that at least 93,000 people have been affected and are in great need," David Fisher, head of delegation for the International Federation ​of Red Cross and ​Red Crescent Societies in Nepal, told a Geneva press briefing.

"We're of course very concerned about the secondary flood," he added.

The flood tore through areas including Rasuwa district near the Chinese border, leveling entire towns, damaging hydropower projects and killing close to 500 people. Hundreds of foreign nationals are still missing.

Nepal says it has rescue efforts for Himalayan flood under control

Fisher said that the organization's trucks with relief supplies were blocked after a lake formed by the landslide broke its banks, temporarily halting rescue operations.

Kamal Kishore, Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, warned of further "cascading hazards that might unfold."

"In a sense, the disaster is not yet completely over. It is still unfolding in some ways," he said.

World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said at the same briefing that the landslide damaged six health facilities and that eight healthcare workers were missing.

"Following a disaster of this scale, displacement, overcrowding and disruption to water, sanitation and health services can increase the risk of infectious diseases, including diarrhea and respiratory illnesses," he said.

Nepal's foreign ministry said it does not need foreign assistance for search-and-rescue operations following the devastating flash flood that swept through several towns, despite offers of help from several countries with nationals missing in the disaster.

"The offer for help is natural. Our security agencies are doing the search and rescue operation. For now we don’t require such help," Lok Bahadur Chhetri, spokesperson for the foreign ministry, said without providing further details.

The Kathmandu Post reported that India, China, the United States, Britain, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had asked the government to allow their search-and-rescue teams to assist in the operation.

South Korea's foreign ministry said Nepal had indicated it was not yet planning to accept foreign rescue teams.

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