Fr Armit Rai SJ (foreground, third from left) leads the delivery of relief supplies to victims of the flash floods | Photo courtesy of the Darjeeling-Nepal Jesuit Province

Jesuit Mission Australia has launched an urgent appeal through its Emergency Action Fund to support communities devastated by flash flooding in Nepal. Over 1,000 people have died, and thousands remain unaccounted for.

Local Jesuit partners, Fe y Alegria Nepal and the Nepal Jesuit Social Institute (NJSI), are already on the ground, working closely with local authorities to assist communities in their moment of crisis.

Donations coursed through Jesuit Mission will go towards supporting urgent relief and longer-term recovery.

Fr Shajumon Chakkalakkal SJ, Provincial of the Darjeeling-Nepal Province, said teachers and students in Jesuit schools in the area are among those affected by the floodwaters, vividly described in some media reports as “liquid cement”.

Fr Shajumon said: “Thousands lack food, electricity and internet connectivity. Many who had gone to work in a neighbouring district are missing or dead. All the shops are empty of supplies. If connectivity is not established, many will starve.”

In a report, Fr Agustus Ekka SJ, Director of Fe y Alegria Nepal, said some of his colleagues have been searching for family members who are missing.

Local schools run by Fe y Alegria Nepal have likewise not been spared. While the buildings stand, several staff members are still waiting for news of missing family members and loved ones.

Apart from the human toll and the number of villages wiped out, livelihoods have been lost as well. In addition, hundreds of children have lost their schools to the disaster.

After the 2015 earthquake, Jesuit Mission Australia helped Nepali children get back into their classrooms – rebuilding not just schools, but the roads and bridges that connect them. Once again, we expect education to be central to the coordinated response by our Jesuit partners. It is in the spirit of 2015 that we respond to the current situation.

Jesuit Mission Australia CEO Helen Forde said: “In Nepal’s time of sorrow, we know that the generosity of Australian supporters will enable the critical relief work required over the next weeks and months. While they grieve, we know how much it means to support these devastated communities in every possible way.”

To donate, visit jesuitmission.org.au/emergency.