KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Some survivors sheltering in relief camps after deadly floods in Nepal struggled Thursday for essential medicines and cash, even as authorities provided food and other basic supplies to thousands of displaced people. The shortage adds to the difficulties of those living in temporary shelters after losing homes and belongings. Suresh Kumar Karanjit, who has been staying at a relief center in Devighat, a town in one of the worst-affected areas of Nuwakot district, lost his younger brother in the floods last week. He said the camp did not have the exact medicine prescribed for his heart condition. Karanjit only managed to get the money he needed to buy his regular medicine after selling a carton of noodles he received as relief for 400 rupees ($2.60). “We have been living here for a week. Relief materials are being provided, which is good. But there is a lack of medicine,” he said. Nepal’s disaster chief, Dharam Raj Uprety, said health centers staffed by doctors and stocked with medicines have been set up in each shelter. Uprety said authorities were also focusing on hygiene and sanitation to reduce the risk of disease. The August 26 floods, which were likely caused by a collapsing glacier, devastated cities and valleys in Nepal, destroying homes, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure. At least 1,259 people have died and more than 5,000 remain missing, according to the country’s disaster management agency. China, as of Wednesday evening, said 21 people had died and 541 were missing on the Tibetan side of the border. More than 4,500 displaced people in Nepal are staying in 38 relief centres. In some of the hardest-hit areas, residents were looking for other ways to navigate after flooding left communities cut off from regular routes. In the city of Bidur, along the Trishuli River, residents used a temporary zip line to cross the river banks. Army personnel helped people cross the makeshift crossing and helped them reach the opposite bank, while others waited their turn along the river bank. Meanwhile, rescue efforts have increasingly focused on the tunnels of several hydroelectric projects where workers are believed to be trapped. Some 900 workers remain missing, while specialized rescue teams from India, China and the United States are involved in efforts to reach those trapped in the tunnels. It was unclear whether the workers feared trapped in the tunnels were alive. Subscribe to Morning Wire: Our flagship newsletter breaks down the day’s biggest headlines. In the Trishuli-3A tunnel, workers began manually opening the upper section of the passage, according to lawmaker Ram Neupane. An access road was built last week to reach the excavation site, but more rock blasting and debris clearing will be needed before heavy machinery can reach the area, he said.
