'The health system in Nepal is not prepared for this'
A collapsed glacier caused massive floods in Nepal, destroying infrastructure, homes, and a crucial bridge, leaving tens of thousands without access to health services. The disaster has killed at least 1,200 people and severely damaged health facilities, with the country's health system deemed unprepared.
Why it matters
This event highlights the devastating impact of natural disasters on vulnerable communities and the critical need for resilient infrastructure and emergency preparedness in health systems, especially in regions susceptible to climate change impacts.
"There's nothing left there," says Shushma Bhusal, the regional lead for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. "There's no village, no sign of anyone there. A lot of houses have just been washed off."
Bhusal is describing parts of Bidur municipality after the flood. Before disaster struck, it was a bustling place, home to about 60,000 people. Hundreds of homes and businesses hugged the Trishuli River, which cuts a winding path through the Nepali Himalayas. It was a central transit hub, about two and half hours from Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.
Asia Rescuers pull 2 trapped workers from a hydropower tunnel 9 days after Nepal floods Across the river, Trishuli hospital served the larger region. But the bridge to get there was destroyed by the enormous torrent of water, mud and debris unleashed by a collapsed glacier on Aug. 26.
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