Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent humanitarian assistance the UK has provided to communities affected by the monsoon floods in Western Nepal.

Torrential rains in Nepal between 13 and 15 August 2014 caused flash floods and landslides in various parts of the country, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries and the destruction of around 7,500 homes. The UK has been working closely with the Nepal government and other donors to meet the humanitarian needs of affected communities and to assist with recovery and reconstruction. £100,000 of UK support has ensured that 13,000 people in the worst hit areas have received essential support, including cash, relief items and emergency services. We have recently approved an additional £500,000 to repair homes and infrastructure and provide short term employment to around 2,000 families. The UK is also the largest contributor (providing over 20% of core funding) to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; $1.3m of CERF funds are being used in Nepal to provide food assistance to 130,000 people affected by the floods.

In the immediate aftermath of the floods, the Red Cross in Nepal was able to distribute essential support such as tarpaulins, kitchen kits and clothes to more than 6,000 families. £190,000 of UK support will enable the replenishment of 5,000 of these family kits, with the remainder being funded by other donors. Over the longer term, we are keen to ensure that Nepal is better able to mitigate the worst effects of natural disasters such as these. Through a £23m, four year programme, we are providing extensive support to the Government and to local communities to help build their capacity to reduce the risk of natural disasters, including floods, landslides and earthquake.