Emergency Response towards Terai’s Fire Victims

Forest fires in South Asia have seen a spike in frequency in recent decades. This is a cause for alarm because of its growing impact on forest ecosystems. One of the most affected areas is Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscape (TAL). It is considered one of the most ecologically important landscapes in Asia because it is home to some of the endangered species of flora and fauna.

Captivating Nepal supported the families affected by a fire in the Terai region last May. Around 110 households in Chimat, Ward 1 of Mahadeva Rural Municipality in Saptari district were severely affected by a massive fire, which started from one of the families’ homes around 2:30 pm and quickly spread to two settlements, destroying properties worth millions of rupees. In response to this incident, Captivating Nepal, in collaboration with Sumarg Nepal, provided roofing sheets to 50 affected households in Mahadeva Rural Municipality of Saptari district, Ward No. 1, as immediate shelter was required in the affected area. The sheets were distributed in the presence of the ward office representative, local representatives, and Sumarga Nepal. Each household received a bundle of sheets to construct a temporary shelter.

Nepalese after the forest fire

Mr. Mahadev Baniya, the Country Director of Captivating Nepal, revisited the places after a month to gather an update about the living conditions of the victims after the incident. He met the people and monitored the roofing sheets we distributed. During the field visit, Mr. Baniya found that most of the families were still living in temporary shelters built with roofing sheets. Additionally, the sheets were placed in a manageable way so they could be easily removed and used later when the families moved to their permanent residence.

Mahadev checked the living conditions of the fire victims

Seeing these calamities affect Nepalese families is heartbreaking. We hope to see them rise up from these hardships and our team in Captivating Nepal will continue to monitor how else we can be of help to those affected by the fire through our  Captivating Emergency Relief Fund Program.