Taskforce Kiwi deploys to Nepal on flood relief mission

TFK relief team meeting with Mayor Rajan Shrestha, of Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot District

Three Taskforce Kiwi specialist volunteers have left New Zealand for Nepal to support communities affected by last month’s devastating flash floods.

 The team are already on the ground in Nuwakot District, one of the worst-affected areas on the Nepal side of the border. They are working alongside our local NGO partner, Noble Compassionate Volunteers (NCV), supporting their ongoing relief operation.

 The three volunteers bring experience in operations management, needs assessment and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). They’re expected to be on the ground for around three weeks initially, although this will depend on what is needed and the conditions they find.

Why Nepal? And Why Now?

 Taskforce Kiwi has been talking with NCV over the past week about the situation on the ground and how we might be able to support their wider relief operations.

 We don’t deploy to every disaster. We look at what is happening, what is needed and whether we have people with the right skills to contribute. In Nepal, there was an opportunity to support an established local operation and put the skills and experience of our volunteers to good use.

 “Whenever there is a significant disaster event Taskforce Kiwi will always look to support relief efforts, either in person on the ground or remotely from New Zealand,” says Taskforce Kiwi National Director Richard Adams.

 “We only deploy volunteers on the ground if we identify a genuine opportunity to provide support to those impacted, and we always look to do so as part of a wider operation led by local partners.”

As with every international deployment undertaken by Taskforce Kiwi, the support and work of US NGO Airlink has been crucial to getting our volunteers where they need to be.

TFK relief team undertaking planning with members of Noble Spontaneous Volunteers (NCV)

A difficult situation on the ground

 The situation remains difficult in many of the affected areas. Damaged infrastructure is making it harder to get material aid to thousands of people who have been displaced, while the monsoon season continues.

Rescue operations are still taking place alongside relief and recovery work, with thousands of people still missing. Five New Zealanders are also among those unaccounted for.

More than 8,000 homes are estimated to have been lost, leaving large numbers of people in need of shelter, food and clean drinking water. There are also growing concerns about malnutrition and water-borne disease as people remain displaced and exposed to the elements.

“The large number of displaced people is massively concerning, with thousands now vulnerable to the elements, malnutrition and water-borne disease,” Adams says.

“This is going to be a long-term relief and recovery effort, and with coverage of this event reducing over time there will be the inevitable reduction in relief funding and NGO support.”

Working with local organisations

 NCV has been operating in Nepal since 2008 and has experience responding to major disasters, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake and the 2025 Myanmar earthquake.

For Taskforce Kiwi, working alongside an organisation that knows the local communities and has an established relief operation is an important part of the deployment.

“Our team is small, but they’re highly skilled and experienced,” Adams says.

“If they were operating independently, they would have reduced impact, but combining their skill and experience with an organised and professional organisation like NCV gives me a high level of confidence that they can have a significant impact in a relatively short period of time.”

 Taskforce Kiwi can also draw on its wider international partnerships to support the response. US-based NGO Airlink has helped get the team to Nepal, while a funding support team in New Zealand is working on grant applications to secure funding for the ongoing relief and recovery effort.

 The immediate focus is on supporting the urgent needs of affected communities, but Taskforce Kiwi is also looking at what may be needed as the response moves into longer-term recovery.

We’re raising funds to support our work in Nepal.

Our volunteers give their time and skills for free, but the work they do comes at a cost. Specialist equipment, on-ground transport, supplies and the work happening on the ground all require funding, and your support can make a real, tangible difference, now.

We’re raising funds to support the team in Nepal and the communities they’re working alongside, and if you want your donation to go directly towards New Zealanders having an impact on the ground, every dollar donated over the next month will go towards Taskforce Kiwi relief and recovery efforts in Nepal.

There are two options to donate:

Online here: https://lnkd.in/eK_AYu8p

Or via bank transfer:
Account Name: Taskforce Kiwi
Account Number: 38-9024-0402670-00

If you donate via bank transfer, please let us know at contact@taskforcekiwi.org so that we can ensure that we send you a receipt for your donation.