IN BRIEFDonations will help provide emergency shelter, food, clean water, hygiene supplies and medical care.Australians can donate through the Emergency Action Alliance's Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal or by calling 1300 939 000.Entire communities have been devastated by severe flooding and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border, with homes, roads, bridges and critical infrastructure destroyed.Search and rescue operations remain underway, while thousands of people are in urgent need of shelter, food, clean drinking water and medical assistance.In response, 14 Australian charities have joined forces to launch a national appeal.Emergency Action AllianceThe Emergency Action Alliance (EAA) has launched the Nepal Flood Disaster Appeal, bringing together a variety of charities to support communities affected by the disaster.News that makes senseYour trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.The alliance says donations will help provide immediate humanitarian assistance, including emergency shelter, food, safe drinking water, hygiene supplies and medical care.Access to some affected communities remains difficult, with damaged roads and ongoing weather conditions hampering efforts to reach people in need.Australians are encouraged to donate through the EAA website or by calling 1300 939 000.The charities participating in the appeal are Save the Children Australia, Plan International Australia, Oxfam Australia, Australia for UNHCR, ActionAid Australia, CARE Australia, Caritas Australia, ADRA, Act for Peace, Anglican Overseas Aid, Australian Lutheran World Service, Baptist World Aid Australia, CBM Australia and Tearfund Australia.EAA executive director Kerren Morris said the appeal provided Australians with a trusted way to support people affected by the disaster."Emergency shelter, food, safe drinking water and medical support are urgently needed now, while longer-term recovery efforts will continue for many months," she said in a statement.What are the charities doing?The charities involved bring different areas of humanitarian expertise to the response, with organisations and their local partners working to provide immediate assistance to affected communities.Save the Children AustraliaSave the Children is focusing on supporting children and families affected by humanitarian emergencies.Oxfam AustraliaOxfam Australia's humanitarian work includes support for essential services such as clean water, sanitation and emergency assistance.Australia for UNHCRAustralia for UNHCR is the UN refugee agency's national partner in Australia, and is supporting humanitarian assistance through the UNHCR network.Homes and buildings have been left damaged and filled with debris after devastating flash floods swept through communities in Nepal. Source: Getty / Anadolu / Sunil PradhanWhat happens to donations?The charities involved are continuing to assess the scale of the disaster and humanitarian needs in affected communities.The EAA says its members are working to determine where support is most urgently needed as search and rescue operations continue.The appeal has been endorsed by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for Australian non-government organisations involved in humanitarian action and international development.The ABC is also supporting the appeal through its ABC Gives initiative.ACFID CEO Matthew Maury said coordinated action was critical as humanitarian needs continued to emerge."This appeal provides Australians with a trusted and effective way to support communities affected by this disaster," he said.Australia pledges $5 million in aidThe Australian government has confirmed a $5 million humanitarian assistance package for communities affected by the devastating floods along the Nepal-China border.The funding will support both the immediate disaster response and longer-term recovery, with the government saying it will help provide food, emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation.The $5 million package will be delivered through established humanitarian partners, including $2 million to the World Food Programme for food and logistical support, $2 million through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership for emergency assistance including shelter, hygiene kits, blankets, medical care and psychosocial support, and $1 million to the EAA to support locally led recovery and rehabilitation efforts.Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said Australian officials were working with Nepali authorities and tour operators to understand the situation and assess the needs of those affected.Thistlethwaite also said the government was "working around the clock" to verify the status of Australians in the region, but damaged roads and telecommunications infrastructure were making it difficult to establish contact.More Australian support on the wayAustralia will also deploy three humanitarian specialists to Nepal within 48 hours to help assess needs and support the emergency response.The specialists are being deployed through the Australia Assists program and have expertise in humanitarian assessment, logistics, communications and planning.A crisis response team member and a regional consular officer are already on the ground in Kathmandu, alongside staff at the Australian embassy.Australians in the affected regionForeign Minister Penny Wong said the scale of the disaster and the remoteness of the affected region meant there were "immense challenges" ahead for the response and recovery."With roads and bridges destroyed, many communities remain isolated and difficult to reach, underscoring the need for rapid humanitarian assistance," she said.The government's humanitarian response comes as Australian officials continue to try to establish the whereabouts of Australians caught up in the disaster.The latest government figure is at least 39 Australians reported missing.The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working with Nepali authorities, tour operators and others to verify their welfare and contact their families.Australians requiring emergency consular assistance can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 in Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas.The government is also urging Australians in affected areas to follow the advice of local authorities and monitor official travel advice.For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.