A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
To get a better sense of the search-and-rescue efforts underway, Lila Pieters Yahia joins us now. She is the United Nations resident coordinator in Nepal. What have you heard in terms of what dangers people are facing in trying to make this rescue effort a success?
LILA PIETERS YAHIA: So this is one of the most complex search-and-rescue operation because we're talking about the Himalayas, and we are still in the monsoon season. And so what happened - this flash flood has been horrific, the fact that we have over 40 kilometers - square kilometers of road destroyed. We have over 35 bridges destroyed of damage. So this has made the search, rescue and recovery operation very difficult.
However, the government has mobilized security personnel. They have mobilized helicopters, and they have received some assistance from some member states. So they're doing all the efforts they can, but it's extremely, extremely difficult. It's raining. Over the last 48 hours, they have tried to reopen a road to reach an old road - a road that you use for hiking - to open it for small vehicles and motorbike. And it's been very, very complicated. It's to reach the people in the epicenter.
All effort are going to increase access. Access is the biggest challenge, and the weather is not helping us. The government has a whole team who is using satellite images to monitor in case we may have another flash flood. So this is being closely monitored. Warning systems are working. Because I was there when we had a warning system, and I can tell you everybody received the instruction through our mobile phone. And the internet now is working. So it's very, very complicated.
MARTÍNEZ: Wow.
PIETERS YAHIA: And it's pouring - pouring rain, rain, rain, rain - and landslides.
MARTÍNEZ: It sounds - yeah. It sounds like the most challenging situation possible, considering everything...
PIETERS YAHIA: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: ...That needs to get done. From what you know, is enough aid getting in right now?
PIETERS YAHIA: I think we get what is needed. I'm going to talk about the aid. What is needed is we need funding. We need cash because what we need to do in some of the areas, so the government has started providing cash transfer. We need to put back money into the hands of people so they can purchase goods. We have stores.
So, for example, in one of the town where the government has put sort of its headquarters for coordinating all the response is called Nuwakot. It has been affected. But when I went there, I saw a lot of stores still open, a lot of storekeepers. And so we need to make sure that the storekeepers who have full of goods are able to sell the goods. We have to make sure we don't destroy the local economy. And so what is needed today is heavy equipment. Yes.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
PIETERS YAHIA: You know? And the government has specific needs. They need a freezer for conserving a dead body. They need DNA freezers. This is heavy equipment that they need. But, you know, all the supplies, nonfood item, there is enough. So we don't want to have massive plane of - being airlifted, coming and landing in Kathmandu, because we will have problem distributing this aid because the roads...
MARTÍNEZ: Right.
PIETERS YAHIA: Access...
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah.
PIETERS YAHIA: ...Is complicated. And we need to hire trucks - a van to bring that - all this supply. So what we need is to put cash in the hands of people. We need to help the local economy, and we need to help the local suppliers.
MARTÍNEZ: That is United Nations resident coordinator in Nepal Lila Pieters Yahia. Thank you very much for this information.
PIETERS YAHIA: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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