Nepal seeks 32.5 mln dlr to house, feed flood victims

GENEVA, Sep 8 (Reuters) Nepal has appealed for 32.5 million dollars to rebuild homes and provide food and other aid items for tens of thousands of flood victims, the United Nations said today.

At least 50 people were killed in late August by flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains in western Nepal, which the UN said had affected at least 70,000 people.

The government, citing preliminary estimates, has appealed for 32.5 million dollars for relocating 500 families in Achham district, construction and maintenance of 10,000 houses and aid items for 10,500 families for one month in Banke, Bardiya and Achham districts, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

''The humanitarian situation is under control and assessments are going on regarding long-term rehabilitation,'' said OCHA spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs.

The UN's World Food Programme has pledged to feed 40,000 people in Nepal for a month, according to the statement.

REUTERS SBA RAI2034