Nepal Floods: Homes Lost, Families Displaced and Lives Left in Limbo

Families crowded hospitals searching for missing relatives as rescuers continued digging through mud and debris amid intermittent rainfall and renewed concerns over rising river levels.

By Sakshi

New Delhi, August 30: Thousands of people displaced by the devastating floods in northern and central Nepal are now struggling in temporary shelters, where shortages of clean drinking water, medicines, food and sanitation facilities are raising health concerns. Relief camps have been set up in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, with about 3,500 displaced people housed in camps, schools and public buildings, as rescuers continue searching for missing people.

According to a government update reported by local media, three relief camps have been established in Rasuwa and 15 in Nuwakot, while temporary accommodation has been arranged in schools and public and community buildings .

Rescuing in process after the devastating flood

The August 26 floods - which travelled downstream through the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river system - have left a trail of destruction across northern and central Nepal, with the death toll crossing 700 on Sunday, while around 2,500 people are still missing.

According to the Nepal Army's Public Relations Directorate, 2,465 people have been evacuated so far, including 163 foreigners, 113 Indians, 26 Chinese, 15 South Koreans, four Germans, two each from Italy and the U.S., and one Omani national. As many as 191 workers were evacuated from tunnels of various hydropower projects in Trishuli and Rasuwa, it said.

oods

Families crowded hospitals searching for missing relatives as rescuers continued digging through mud and debris amid intermittent rainfall and renewed concerns over rising river levels.

The scale of the displacement is evident from more specific local figures. Nepal Police said about 1,000 displaced people were staying in nine holding centres in Nuwakot on Saturday, according to The Kathmandu Post.

 the Nepal Army's Public Relations Directorate, 2,465 people have been evacuated ( image credit Nepal Police )

Rescue camps for people affected from flood

Separately, the newspaper reported that about 1,000 people were staying at three displacement camps around Trishuli Hospital - at Bhairung Secondary School, a covered hall and Bethan Academy.

The camps are sheltering people with a range of needs, including pregnant women, new mothers and those requiring medical care, The Kathmandu Post reported.

But the shelters are facing shortages of clean drinking water and sanitation, while doctors have warned that crowded conditions could increase the risk of disease.

At a camp in Kolani, Kopila Pariyar was caring for her 62-year-old mother, who has asthma and needs regular medication.

“We have not been able to get all of them,” Pariyar told The Kathmandu Post, referring to her mother's medicines. She also said the family had no money or clothes and that there was no drinking water in the camp.

Pariyar's 16-year-old brother Abinash and her 43-year-old sister-in-law Shanti were among those still missing after the flood, the newspaper reported.

The water shortage is not confined to the camps. The flood destroyed the canal that supplied drinking water to Trishuli Hospital and surrounding settlements, while another pipeline through Tupche was also washed away, according to The Kathmandu Post.

With the water systems damaged, residents and displaced people have been forced to depend on alternative supplies. Hospital officials warned that inadequate sanitation and unsafe water in crowded shelters could increase the risk of disease, the newspaper reported.

In Rasuwa, the destruction of roads and other infrastructure has made relief operations particularly difficult.

Government taking required action

The Kathmandu Post reported that one rural municipality was providing food and accommodation to around 750 people in four shelters.

Local government employees were themselves staying and working at holding centres alongside displaced residents, according to the newspaper.

The scale of the relief effort is also likely to evolve as rescue teams reach areas cut off by the August 26 floods and displaced people move between shelters or seek refuge with relatives and other residents.

For those in the camps, however, the immediate challenge is no longer simply escaping the flood. It is finding enough food and clean water, obtaining essential medicines, locating missing relatives and finding a place that can serve as home until things become normal.