‘I left everything behind’: Nepal flash flood, children face trauma, displacement and uncertainty and growing protection risks
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, with more than 1,000 confirmed fatalities and thousands still missing, strengthened child protection measures are urgently needed to support displaced children and their families.
02 September 2026 | Kathmandu, Nepal
For children who survived the flash floods in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, the water may have receded, but the emergency has not. "I had to leave my cycle and ball behind, and the river swept them away. The flood took everything I owned. I was afraid when I saw houses collapse. I saw the water enter our house and tear away the back of it. I did not know where we would stay, and now we are here, at a school converted into a temporary shelter," 8-year-old Sujal.
Many children are living in evacuation centres and temporary shelters, unsure whether relatives are alive or when they can return home. Some have been displaced or separated from their families. Humanitarian teams warn that gaps in identification, family tracing and safe reunification could expose children to trafficking, exploitation, abuse or disappearance.
As of 1 September, more than 1,000 people were confirmed dead, and nearly 4,000 remained missing, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. The figures continue to change as search and rescue operations progress. Washed-out roads and bridges have isolated communities and delayed life-saving support.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that more than 20,000 households have been affected and over 50,000 people need emergency water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. UNICEF estimates that 17,000 children have been impacted.
In partnership with government authorities, World Vision International Nepal is mobilising emergency teams, supplies and protection services to reach those stranded and vulnerable across the two worst-affected districts, Nuwakot and Rasuwa, with immediate assistance planned for 10,000 people, including children (2,000 households).
“Children can slip through the cracks”
With thousands displaced across temporary centres and evacuation sites, rigorous identity verification, family tracing and child protection case management are essential. In the chaos of displacement, informal handovers, even when well-intentioned, can place unaccompanied and separated children at serious risk.
“In the overwhelming chaos following a disaster of this scale, family tracing must be rigorous and systematic. Relatives and caregivers are arriving at holding centres eager to reunite with children, but without immediate verification systems in place, we risk vulnerable children slipping through administrative cracks. Every child’s handover must follow formal case-management protocols to ensure their safety and well-being,” said Anju Bhattarai, Urban Protection Coordinator, World Vision International Nepal.
Local child protection mechanisms in some of the hardest-hit communities were already stretched before the disaster and are now operating beyond capacity. Strengthening these systems with additional resources and coordination is an urgent shared priority.
“No child should survive a disaster only to disappear in its aftermath. Without proper verification and protection, a child who has survived the floods could be separated again, trafficked, exploited, or simply disappear from the system. Every reunification must put a child’s safety first, which is why local child protection systems urgently need to be restored and strengthened,” Bhattarai added.
Survival is only the beginning
As children and families grapple with the devastation left behind by the floods, the impact on children’s wellbeing will endure long after the waters recede. Sudden displacement, the loss of homes, schools and communities, and separation from caregivers can leave children facing profound fear, uncertainty and distress.
With schools closed, children have also lost a vital source of stability, learning and support. Education must be recognised as an urgent humanitarian priority. Safe temporary learning spaces, essential learning materials and support to help children return to school can restore a sense of normality, strengthen social connections and provide a protective environment where children can access psychosocial care and specialised support when needed.
Roslyn Gabriel, National Director of World Vision International Nepal, said, “Children have survived a terrifying disaster, but survival is not the end of their story. They need to know who they can trust, where they will sleep and whether they will see their families again. Our focus is on reaching the families most in need while ensuring that displaced and separated children are protected throughout the relief and recovery process."
World Vision’s response is designed to meet immediate physical needs while restoring safety and stability. Child Friendly Spaces will provide safe places for children to process what they have experienced, interact with other children and begin to recover. The response will also reinforce child protection systems so separated children can be traced and safely reunited with their families.
A US$4 million appeal to protect children and help families recover
World Vision has launched a US$4 million emergency appeal backed by international support from Australia, Taiwan, Korea, the US, UK, France, and New Zealand as the scale of need continues to grow.
Immediate relief focuses on delivering emergency food, shelter kits, safe drinking water, hygiene and dignity kits for women and girls, and child protection services. As the response progresses, efforts will expand to establish temporary learning centres, restore livelihoods, repair community water systems. and health facility restoration.
World Vision International Nepal is working closely with the Government of Nepal, humanitarian partners and affected communities to provide immediate relief while supporting recovery efforts. Protecting children, restoring hope and helping families rebuild their lives remain at the heart of the response.
To date, nearly 900 people in evacuation centres in Bidur, Nuwakot, have received life-saving assistance, including food support and water purifiers. World Vision has also distributed shelter kits consisting of tarpaulins, blankets, foam mattresses, ropes, mosquito nets and solar lights, along with kitchen sets, reaching 125 households. An additional 250 food packages, enough to support approximately 1,000 people, together with hygiene and dignity kits, are being transported to Rasuwa for immediate distribution.
Survival is only the beginning
As children and families grapple with the devastation left behind by the floods, the impact on children’s wellbeing will endure long after the waters recede. Sudden displacement, the loss of homes, schools and communities, and separation from caregivers can leave children facing profound fear, uncertainty and distress.
With schools closed, children have also lost a vital source of stability, learning and support. Education must be recognised as an urgent humanitarian priority. Safe temporary learning spaces, essential learning materials and support to help children return to school can restore a sense of normality, strengthen social connections and provide a protective environment where children can access psychosocial care and specialised support when needed.
Roslyn Gabriel, National Director of World Vision International Nepal, said, “Children have survived a terrifying disaster, but survival is not the end of their story. They need to know who they can trust, where they will sleep and whether they will see their families again. Our focus is on reaching the families most in need while ensuring that displaced and separated children are protected throughout the relief and recovery process."
World Vision’s response is designed to meet immediate physical needs while restoring safety and stability. Child Friendly Spaces will provide safe places for children to process what they have experienced, interact with other children and begin to recover. The response will also reinforce child protection systems so separated children can be traced and safely reunited with their families.
A US$4 million appeal to protect children and help families recover
World Vision has launched a US$4 million emergency appeal backed by international support from Australia, Taiwan, Korea, the US, UK, France, and New Zealand as the scale of need continues to grow.
Immediate relief focuses on delivering emergency food, shelter kits, safe drinking water, hygiene and dignity kits for women and girls, and child protection services. As the response progresses, efforts will expand to establish temporary learning centres, restore livelihoods, repair community water systems, and restore health facilities.
World Vision International Nepal is working closely with the Government of Nepal, humanitarian partners and affected communities to provide immediate relief while supporting recovery efforts. Protecting children, restoring hope and helping families rebuild their lives remain at the heart of the response.
To date, nearly 900 people in evacuation centres in Bidur, Nuwakot, have received life-saving assistance, including food support and water purifiers. World Vision has also distributed shelter kits consisting of tarpaulins, blankets, foam mattresses, ropes, mosquito nets and solar lights, along with kitchen sets, reaching 125 households. An additional 250 food packages, enough to support approximately 1,000 people, together with hygiene and dignity kits, are being transported to Rasuwa for immediate distribution.
For further information:
Uma Thapa
Communications Manager
World Vision International Nepal
Email: uma_thapa@wvi.org