Update 5: Flood-affected girls without a suitable toilet

These three sisters live in the flood-affected district of Chitwan in Nepal. Every year the rivers swells over the banks and enters the fields. But this year, was different. It “was like a dam had burst and the water would not stop”, they said. The flood continued for three days straight. The girls were moved to a temporary camp but they’ve been there for weeks. Food has been distributed so there is enough to eat. But they want to return home.

There are more than fifty people in this camp. There’s only three toilets and none are separate female toilets. Development literature defines these toilets as “limited” sanitation services. This is because they’re shared between households. These girls also have to shower in the bushes nearby. This is a potential safety risk. The girls also report that they’re embarrassed to use the same toilets as the men during menstruation. But they’ve recently received sanitary pads that can be used and discarded discretely.

Providing basic WaSH (water, sanitation [and] hygiene) services to people in crises is essential to relief efforts. The regular washing of hands with soap, basic toilet facilities and safe water can help prevent outbreaks of disease. Diseases like Cholera and Typhoid fever can occur when people accidentally ingest faecal bacteria. They can spread rapidly when displaced people are without basic WaSH. Outbreaks can overwhelm public health systems, already compromised by disasters or conflict. In this manner, a devastating Cholera outbreak began in war-torn Yemen earlier this year.

Fortunately, the sisters are still able to attend school without any severe disruptions. Their school is a lot closer now and they no longer have to take the two hour journey from their village.

So far you have provided relief to thousands of people affected by this flood. Australian supporters are coming together to help raise $40,000 to provide 250 Relief Packages for Nepali families displaced by the floods. If you haven’t yet had an opportunity to give, you can GIVE NOW here [now closed].

Australian supporters came together to help raise more than $20,000 to provide 250 Relief Packages for Nepali families displaced by the floods.