Emotional Plea

The United Nations chief in Nepal issued an emotional plea for aid on Sunday, saying survivors of the catastrophic flooding had seen their lives transformed in just "one to two minutes". After visiting battered mountain communities, UN Resident Coordinator Lila Pieters Yahia told AFP that people were struggling to comprehend how suddenly their Himalayan homes had become an expanse of ruin.

"You lose your home, you lose your livelihood, you lose your loved one and you lose the breadwinner of your family," Pieters Yahia said in Kathmandu. "And you know, this happened in one to two minutes." The devastating August 26 flood killed at least 1,384 people and left more than 5,500 missing across both countries, including more than 800 foreigners from 34 countries.

Risk of cholera

"Those people are cut off from the rest of the world because the road is gone," Pieters Yahia said. "You try to find a solution to expedite access, and you find another bottleneck." She warned that beyond immediate shelter and food needs, authorities would have to guard against disease outbreaks. Citing government data, 5,000 cattle had died in the flooding.

"This could lead to communicable diseases. We may have risk of cholera, so this is why immediately we have to invest in sanitation and hygiene." The UN has launched a $50 million appeal to help more than 84,000 people. "My plea to the international community is: this is the time to help Nepal. We can't leave them there. We can't leave them alone."