INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Flooding in Nepal and China on Wednesday killed more than 950 people, and thousands more remain missing.
The Nepalese Association of Indiana is working to provide aid to the region. Bikram Sharma, the organization’s president, said Monday, “We hope this small effort turns into a bigger effort and we can make impactful contributions.”
Sharma said the cultural nonprofit raised $10,000 within 24 hours, but more is still needed.
“Right now, the money is invested in rescue and relief, but eventually the money will go to provide basic needs to those affected like food, shelter, and medical assistance. And in the long term, the money will be invested in rebuilding and reconstructing the communities so the people displaced will have a home to return to.”
Wednesday’s flash floods started with a glacial collapse high in the Himalayan region. Scientists who studied satellite images said bedrock underneath a glacier collapsed, taking part of the glacier with it. The rockfall was so extreme that it registered as a magnitude 5.2 seismic event. Survivors have called the floodwaters “liquid cement.”
“We were really sad to see villages completely wiped out from the ground. It’s something we’ve never seen before,” Sharma said.
A little more than 1,000 Nepalese residents live in Indiana.
Sharma was born in Nepal and now lives in Indiana, where he works as a professor at Ball State University. He calls both places home. Both American and Nepalese flags hang among the books on his bookshelf, representing parts of his culture. He bridges both worlds and hopes that speaking up can help his homeland.
“Nepal is in need, and Hoosiers can help,” Sharma said. “We don’t have to be people of Nepal origin or have to have family in Nepal. We can come together. They can help by making donations both small and big.”
A Christian nonprofit, ServLife International Inc. based in Fishers, is also fundraising. It has raised more than $6,000.
