Catterick Gurkhas support Nepal after devastating floods

The Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas and the Gurkha Brigade Association have said the “Gurkha family” is standing united with those affected after devastating flash floods swept through parts of Nepal last week.

The tragedy has particular resonance in North Yorkshire, where generations of young Nepalese recruits have undergone their British Army training at Catterick Garrison and where a sizeable Gurkha and Nepalese community has developed around the military base.

A drone view of the aftermath of flash flooding at the confluence of the Trishuli and Tadi rivers in the Devighat area of Nuwakot district, Nepal (Image: AP/PA)

In a joint message following the disaster, the Gurkha organisations said: “As the scale of the tragedy in Nepal becomes apparent, all of the Gurkha family stand united in support of the people affected.

“We salute the work of our brothers and sisters in the Nepal Army and emergency services as they deal with the aftermath of the catastrophic river flood.

“Our Gurkha family is working together to do what it can.”

Police officers and rescuers walk past a damaged building following flash floods in Nepal (Image: AP/PA)

They added that British Gurkhas Nepal and the Gurkha Welfare Trust were working to establish that people were safe and to support the Nepalese authorities.

“Many lives and livelihoods have been lost, and the path to recovery for Nepal, yet again, will take time and considerable effort,” the statement said.

“Our hearts go out to those who have lost family and friends. We are with you.”

The death toll in Nepal had reached 734 by Sunday morning, according to the country’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, with 2,498 people still listed as missing. Authorities said 589 foreign nationals were among those unaccounted for.

A further 16 people have been reported dead and 546 missing in Tibet, taking the combined number of people missing across Nepal and China to more than 3,000.

Search and rescue operations are continuing while authorities have also warned about renewed rises in the Bhotekoshi River, raising fears of further flooding.

The disaster has also left dozens of British nationals unaccounted for.

The UK Government has sent a Rapid Deployment Team to Nepal to assist British nationals and their families and has announced a £5 million humanitarian support package for the country’s emergency response.

The disaster will be felt particularly keenly around Catterick Garrison because of the area’s longstanding relationship with Nepal.

Gurkha Company at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick forms part of the 2nd Infantry Training Battalion and provides training to young men recruited in Nepal before they join units across the Brigade of Gurkhas.

The Army says its Gurkha course at Catterick lasts 37 weeks and includes infantry training alongside English language, cultural and Brigade-specific instruction.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust, which supports Gurkha veterans, their families and communities throughout Nepal, has begun assessing the impact of the floods through its network of Area Welfare Centres.

In its initial disaster update, the charity said roads, bridges and riverside settlements had been swept away and several families connected with its work had been directly affected.

At the time of that assessment, no Gurkha Welfare Trust beneficiaries had been reported killed or injured, although the charity stressed that welfare checks were continuing.

The latest disaster comes as rescue teams face enormous difficulties reaching isolated communities after bridges were destroyed and around 25 miles of road were damaged.

Nearly 20,000 Nepalese security personnel have been involved in the response, while more than 8,000 people have so far been rescued, according to Nepalese authorities.