So after hanging around Kathmandu hoping the rains don't hit the Terai too hard again and getting clearance to even be able to get to Tulsipur I booked the (second) flight with the help of Beebal, forgot to do my laundry, and travelled to the airport in the only clean clothes I had. Kathmandu domestic airport now has wifi, (as opposed to being a building site when I was last there) but I'd foolishly not ensured my phone was plugged in correctly overnight. This oversight has come back to haunt me as I can't show you any photographs of gigantic still green trees lying in middle of rivers, or the wide paths of mud, silt and debris left behind alongside the river banks.
The weather was clear and apart from the strong police presence at the airport, (the Prime Minster had come to meet me, but I was in a bit of a rush so we missed each other) a pleasant journey. The view as we landed showed river after river that had breached it's banks and flooded the surrounding area, or turned a previously blue silky line through the landslide into light brown smudges, as if a child had drawn over the rivers with the wrong cloured pen. (The photographs attached are of the delightful journey and some of its stops along the way to Tulsipur along the unaffected roads prior to this). Getting to Tulsipur at last at around 8pm I found the majority of the senior staff in the office still working, on multiple projects including dealing with the emergency aid and applications for funding for the affected districts. Though few photos I've (hopefully) attached a briefing document here giving the current situation report on the ground from the Western Terai where BASE operates. At the moment thousands are displaced, with crops for the year destroyed. Thankfully BASE has been working in these areas for some time and on supporting themes, (ie WASH and resettlement) therefore they are well placed to respond. At NERF we're really looking forward to supporting these program and grant writing activities to ensure the funding can get to and be spent well where it needs to be.