[Interview] Nepal’s children face a new set of hardships after disastrous floods

Nepal's children face a new set of hardships after devastating floods, as the aftermath brings unique challenges. Ayush Joshi, director of program development, quality and influence for Save the Children in Nepal, recounted a conversation with a girl at a shelter in Nuwakot, one of the hardest-hit areas. The girl, although separated from her parents, did not cry but was deeply saddened by the loss of her friends washed away by the flood.

Joshi also mentioned another child who had not changed clothes since arriving at the center. He, himself, a survivor of a major earthquake in 2015, warned that disasters do more than destroy infrastructure, triggering humanitarian and mental health crises in affected societies. According to UNICEF's situation report, 65,000 people were impacted by the floods in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, and Tanahu, including 22,100 children.

Six healthcare facilities suffered severe damage, and 69 schools were destroyed or damaged, leaving 18,918 students facing an educational crisis. Anup Rana, World Vision's field operations director in Nepal, reported that at least 37 of the 900 confirmed deaths were children, while an estimated 200 children were missing or separated from their parents.

Overcrowded evacuation centers, resulting from the merging of holding centers, led to a shortage of bathrooms, potable water, sanitation, and medical services. Rana expressed concerns about potential deterioration in health and nutrition conditions due to the high rates of poor growth and acute malnutrition among children, even before the floods, which were 32% and 12.1%, respectively.

The risk of gender-based violence and other harm against children and women in overcrowded shelters is also a growing concern. International relief groups are providing survival support and restoring access to education, with Save the Children focusing on child-friendly spaces and temporary education facilities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading.

They are also dispatching mental health specialists. Rajendra Dawadi, head teacher at Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, called for psychological counseling and the swift resumption of classes in temporary spaces, having saved around 900 students by evacuating them just before the floods struck.