Nepal floods leave hundreds of children in relief centres after families vanish

Kathmandu,UPDATED: Sep 6, 2026 12:38 IST

Hundreds of children are living in relief centres in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts after the catastrophic floods of August 26, which swept through northern and central parts of the country. Flash floods triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border devastated towns and villages, and the Bhotekoshi River carried the water downstream, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges and damaging hydropower projects. The floods have killed more than 1,300 people, while around 5,000 remain missing.

Among those affected are children who have lost family members, homes and contact with relatives. Initial reports from Nepal's Ministry of Education say 250 students and teachers are unreachable, while UNICEF has said 17,000 children have been affected by the floods. Many children in areas hit by the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers have either lost their parents or been separated from them.

One of them is 16-year-old Sameer Tamang from Rasuwa. When he reached his school, the Bhotekoshi River had already turned into what he described as a wave of destruction. "My younger sister had an injury on her hand and couldn't go to school, so my older sister also stayed home to look after her," he said while taking shelter at the holding centre of Shivalaya Basic School in Laharepauwa.

Sameer, a student of Neelkantha Secondary School, had already reached school when the flood hit. His sisters, 13-year-old Priya and 7-year-old Parvati, were at home. After hearing about the flood, he ran to save his life, but his sisters have been out of contact since then, Ekantipur reported. "I don't know what to do now. My sisters were like my closest friends, and in a single moment, the flood took them away," he said.

He said the flood also washed away his house. His father, Surya, escaped, while his mother, Chhesang, is working in Kuwait.

Another child affected is Ranju Tamang, a student of Kalika Himalaya Secondary School in Kalika Rural Municipality in Rasuwa. She lost her mother, brother and nephew in the flood. Her father, Buddhiman, had died five years ago, and her mother, Shubhamaya, was caught in the disaster when she had gone to a relative's house. Ranju's elder brother Suryaman, nephew Gyan Bahadur, aunt Tharmendo, uncle Gyan Bahadur and her uncle's one-year-old son Praveen are also missing.

Fourteen-year-old Akash Tamang from Rasuwa Khalte had reached Uttargaya Public School before the Trishuli flood struck. He was playing with friends when he heard the flood approaching. There was panic and a stampede in the school. "We ran towards the forest, otherwise how would we have survived!" he said from a holding centre. "My siblings who study in another school were also not saved," Akash said, adding that his eight-year-old brother Ashwin and 11-year-old sister Anisha have also been out of contact since the flash floods.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Education, 250 students and teachers are unreachable because of the floods. Of 230 students, 213 are unreachable and 17 were swept away. Of 19 teachers who were unreachable, 10 were swept away and the body of one teacher has been found. A total of 23 schools have been damaged in the disaster-hit areas, including eight in Nuwakot, seven in Rasuwa and the rest in Dhading and other districts, Information Officer Bir Bahadur Dhami said.

The floods have left thousands of children in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and nearby areas facing loss, separation and displacement, with many still waiting for news of their parents, siblings and relatives while living in relief centres.

With PTI Inputs

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