Nepal faces another crisis: Healing the trauma of its deadliest floods

Kathmandu, As Nepal recovers from its deadliest floods in a decade, a new crisis is emerging - the psychological toll on survivors. With over 900 deaths and nearly 4,000 still missing, the trauma has only begun to surface. The government has responded by deploying mental health professionals to the hardest-hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, where children are waking from nightmares believing the flood has returned and adults struggle with fear and anxiety.

The response includes Psychological First Aid, a form of support introduced after the immediate phase of a disaster, and a dedicated helpline for psychosocial support. Mental health professionals report that most survivors are still in the early stages of coping with the disaster and that formal counselling has barely begun.