Israeli-Belarusian Woman Reported Missing After Deadly Nepal Floods

Six days have passed since the deadly flood disaster in Nepal, and today (Monday), Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that another Israeli woman is considered missing in the aftermath. She is Katrina (Katya) Skovitz, 41, an Israeli citizen who also holds Belarusian citizenship, with whom contact has been lost since the floods struck the area.

Israel’s consul in Kathmandu and the Foreign Ministry’s department for Israelis in distress abroad are in ongoing contact with Skovitz’s family. At the same time, they are working with authorities and local contacts in an effort to trace her whereabouts.

The other Israeli missing in the disaster, who has not yet been located, was in the border area between Nepal and Tibet. He was part of a group of 77 foreign travelers returning from the Kailash Manasarovar journey who arrived at the immigration center in Gyirong, on the Tibetan side of the border.

Contact with the group was still maintained shortly before the floods hit. The organization’s contacts spoke with the group leader just about 10 minutes before the waters struck the area, and at that point there were no warning signs of the approaching disaster. Shortly after that conversation, all contact with the group was completely lost.

As searches continue for the missing Israelis, the scale of the disaster in Nepal is becoming clearer. According to updated figures released today by the country’s authorities, the flood death toll has reached 903 people, while the number of missing people has risen to 4,247.

The floods struck a remote, mountainous region that serves as a major route for travelers and pilgrims moving between Nepal and Tibet. The force of the water caused extensive damage to local infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings, making it difficult to reach some of the affected sites.

Since the disaster, search-and-rescue efforts have continued at full force. Thousands of military personnel and police officers are taking part in operations on the ground to reach missing people and survivors. Helicopters are being used in mountainous areas cut off from access roads, both to locate and rescue victims and to deliver equipment and supplies to places that cannot be reached by land.