NORFOLK, Va. — A Portsmouth-based nonprofit is on the ground in Nepal following devastating flash flooding last week, distributing meals and aid to tens of thousands of affected residents.
Mercy Chefs team members have been in Nepal since Saturday, witnessing widespread destruction including heavily damaged buildings, construction equipment trapped in mud, and a bridge broken apart.
More than 900 people died in the flooding, and more than 4,000 people — including many Americans — are missing.
Gary LeBlanc, founder and CEO of Mercy Chefs, said the scale of destruction has been difficult for his team to process.
"As we move further in, our team is seeing more and more destruction, more and more loss of life. It's been quite a lot for them to take in," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc did not travel to Nepal himself but remains in contact with the team on the ground. He said pre-existing relationships with local partners allowed the organization to begin operations quickly, distributing more than 40,000 meals so far.
"Working with local partners, we're able to do so much more and put our resources towards what's needed most right now, and that's groceries in the hands of people who have been affected," LeBlanc said.
With many roadways blocked or cut off, Mercy Chefs has secured use of a helicopter to reach multiple areas. LeBlanc said in many locations, his team is the first outside relief organization residents have encountered.
"A lot of people are still in that initial phase, not really believing what has happened to them. A lot of folks we're meeting — we're the first outside relief organization that they've seen," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc said his team has witnessed mass cremations and widespread suffering. Team members are also closely monitoring water levels in case of additional flooding.
"Our team has to constantly monitor the river levels and what's going on upriver," said LeBlanc. "They're critically on alert at every moment."
Team members will rotate in and out of Nepal, but LeBlanc said the organization is committed to staying as long as necessary.
"There are 100,000 people directly affected by this," LeBlanc said. "There's no power. Infrastructure is down. Buildings are destroyed, and there's 100,000 people with nowhere to turn, and that's where Mercy Chefs wants to be."
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