Published on: 2026-09-01
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 1, 2026 Humanitarian aid
Rescue operations continue in Nepal following the devastating floods. Humanitarian organizations are paying special attention to how the disaster has affected the situation of women and girls, as well as ensuring the population’s access to medical care.
The death toll has reached 987 people, with another 4,247 reported missing, said Jens Laerke, a representative of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.
The catastrophic flood was caused by the collapse of a glacier in the Himalayas on the border with China. According to Chinese authorities, 16 people have died in the country, and another 546 are reported missing.
Threats remain
Almost a week has passed since the flooding began, but the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has only now gained access to the most affected areas, including the Rasuwa district.
“Search and rescue operations continue, and the monsoons do not cease,” said Matt Bayden, head of IFRC’s crisis response operations in Nepal, speaking from Kathmandu.
According to him, blocked waterways create a risk of new floods, and there remains a real threat of landslides. Meanwhile, people are returning to their destroyed settlements.
Women and girls need help
According to data from the UN Women structure, as a result of the disaster, about 43 thousand women and girls in Nepal are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
According to Kristin Arab, the regional director of the UN agency for Asia and the Pacific, local partners of the organization report that affected women are running out of food supplies, clean water is becoming increasingly scarce, and risks of violence and human rights violations continue to escalate.
There is a danger that women will be excluded from the decision-making process concerning disaster response and recovery.
Disaster exposed inequality
Speaking to journalists in Geneva from Bangkok, Arab said that many people who would normally receive humanitarian support—pregnant women, nursing mothers, people with disabilities—were “washed away” by the disaster as they were unable to reach higher ground.
“This is exactly what happens when disaster encounters inequality: those who were already neglected often suffer first,” she said.
© UNICEF/L. Prasad Ngakhusi The aftereffects of floods in Nepal.
Arab reminded that even before the flood, women and girls in the Rasuwa area were forced to spend long hours daily covering large distances to fetch water.
“Now these women tell us that access to safe water has been completely cut off after the destruction of water supply systems, roads, and bridges,” she added.
The Role of Women in Reconstruction
According to a representative of the “UN Women” entity, the most pressing issue at the moment is the shortage of food.
Moreover, natural disasters increase the risks of gender-based violence, exploitation, and human trafficking, while damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication hinder seeking help and accessing protection services.
“Humanitarian response must take into account the experiences of women and girls,” said Arab. “Aid must reach them, and they should become one of the key driving forces of Nepal’s recovery.”
Access to medical care
Restoring access to medical services also remains a priority, said Christian Lindmeier, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Six medical facilities have been damaged or destroyed, and two more remain inaccessible.
Lindmayer emphasized that urgent efforts are focused on life-saving measures, but it is “no less important to prevent secondary consequences for public health.”
He explained that floods, population displacement, crowding, and standing water increase the risk of disease outbreaks. In this regard, WHO is providing Nepal with support in epidemiological surveillance both in flood-affected areas and in downstream communities to monitor potential increases in dengue fever, tsutsugamushi disease, and other infectious diseases.
The UN agency also helped identify the necessary medicines, diagnostic kits, and other medical supplies, as well as provided recommendations, including on infection prevention and the safe and dignified handling of deceased bodies.
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