Source : Perth Now news
Australians have raised millions of dollars to assist survivors of the Nepal disaster, with many forced into temporary shelters amid mud and chaos.
The survivors remain in desperate need of basic amenities like clean drinking water and medical supplies.
Among them, Rabindra Hamal told AAP he and his colleagues working at a dam site were told to flee just minutes before the flood hit their area on Wednesday.
They made their escape by car, but as they later tried to reach higher ground by foot, two of the group were swept away.
“It was completely terrifying,” he said. “We couldn’t believe it.”
The group continued to scramble to safety but were forced to wait until the following day to be rescued.
They flown by helicopter to a nearby army barracks and then evacuated to Kathmandu.
Mr Hamal said of the several thousand people who were working on the hydro project, about 500 people were still missing.
As of Sunday evening, 42 Australians also remained missing with the Australian government continuing to do everything possible to confirm their welfare.
A public candlelight vigil will be held at Melbourne’s Federation Square on Monday evening, in memory of those lost in the disaster.
A joint call for aid from the Emergency Action Alliance (EAA), made up of 15 prominent charities, has raised more than $3.5 million, including $2 million in contributions from the federal government
The funding is going towards providing much-needed emergency shelter, food, safe drinking water, healthcare, hygiene and sanitation services, as well as supporting longer-term recovery assistance.
In addition to support for the alliance, the government said it would commit a further $2 million in aid to be delivered directly to Nepal by the Australian Defence Force.
Save the Children is one of the organisations participating in the alliance, with the group’s global media manager Amy Lefevre, visiting the affected Nuwakot district on Saturday.
Speaking from Kathmandu, Ms Lefevre said the scale of the disaster was staggering.
“It’s just mud everywhere, there’s also a lot of confusion and chaos,” she told AAP.
“It’s just incredibly sad when you look around and you see someone’s shoes stuck in the mud, or people’s belongings strewn everywhere.
“It’s very much still a rescue operation but of course, today is day five, and I think the chance of finding people alive is slowly dimming.”
For those who did survive, many families have been ripped apart, with Save the Children managing to reunite 69 children with their loved ones since Friday.
“We spoke to quite a few children who were either on their own or had been separated,” Ms Lefevre said.
“So one of the most urgent concerns that we’re seeing is the need to reunite families.”
The additional support announced on Sunday takes the Australian Government’s total humanitarian support for this disaster to $8 million.
