Rep. AOC Offers Assistance to NY Constituents Affected by Deadly Nepal Floods
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. (Franmarie Metzler/U.S. House Office of Photography)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered support and resources Thursday to constituents affected by devastating flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border that have claimed hundreds of lives.
“My prayers are with the people of Nepal and Tibet following yesterday’s deadly flash floods,” the New York Democrat wrote in a social media statement. “To our NY-14 constituents impacted by this tragedy, my office stands ready to assist.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional district includes parts of Queens and the Bronx, a region home to one of the largest Nepali and Tibetan diaspora communities in the United States. Many residents of neighborhoods such as Jackson Heights and Woodside have close family ties to the affected Himalayan mountain valleys.
According to an official situation report released by Nepal Police on Thursday afternoon, authorities had recovered 359 bodies. Twenty-eight police personnel remained out of contact, and 8,348 police officers had been deployed to lead emergency search-and-rescue operations.
Additionally, 63 injured people were receiving treatment at hospitals across Kathmandu, including Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital and the National Trauma Center.
The congresswoman shared emergency guidance issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu on Aug. 26.
According to the embassy, a major flash flood surged into Nepal from Tibet, striking Rasuwagadhi, Timure, Syafrubesi and surrounding areas of Rasuwa District. The flood destroyed buildings and damaged critical roads, bridges, electricity infrastructure and communications systems.
Nepali authorities ordered evacuations for communities along the Bhote Koshi, Trishuli and Narayani rivers, including in the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Chitwan and Tanahun districts. Travel restrictions remained in effect along major transit corridors, including the Prithvi Highway, the Galchhi-Nuwakot-Rasuwa-Syafrubesi road and the Mugling-Narayangadh road.
The U.S. Embassy advised citizens to move to higher ground immediately, follow local evacuation instructions, avoid travel into flood zones and contact family members to confirm their safety. Americans in Rasuwagadhi, Timure, Syafrubesi, Langtang and other affected areas were urged to contact the embassy with their name, location and status when safe to do so.
Emergency contacts and assistance resources include the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu at 977-1-423-4000 or [email protected], as well as the State Department’s Consular Affairs line at 888-407-4747, or 202-501-4444 for callers outside the United States. Within Nepal, emergency contacts include Nepal Police at 100, the government disaster hotline at 1234 and the Armed Police Force at 1114. Travelers were also urged to enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, for security updates.