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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

After losing their homes, displaced families lose what little they had left

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Families displaced by floods in Nepal lost their belongings for a second time when their temporary shelter also flooded.
  • Residents described panic and fear as water rose rapidly inside the holding center, forcing them to flee with minimal possessions.
  • The incident highlights the vulnerability of displaced populations to further disasters, with many losing essential items like medication and personal documents.

In Kirtipur, Nepal, families already displaced by floods found themselves in a desperate situation as their temporary shelter at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas holding center was submerged overnight.

She couldn’t save anything. Her shoes, clothes, books, notebooks, everything went underwater.

— Gayatri ShresthaDescribing her daughter's loss after the holding center flooded.

Awake before dawn, residents sat with the few belongings they had salvaged, surrounded by sodden clothes and mattresses. The relentless rain had swollen the Bagmati river, causing water to surge into the holding center around 12:30 am, triggering panic among the sleeping families.

"We were fast asleep when people started shouting," recounted Gayatri Shrestha, who managed to grab two bags and some documents. Her daughter, standing barefoot on the cold concrete, had lost all her shoes, clothes, and books. "The only clothes my daughter still has are the underwear and shirt she was wearing," Gayatri said, worried about how she would clothe her child.

We were fast asleep when people started shouting. By the time we woke up, the water was already rising. We grabbed two bags and a few documents and ran outside.

— Gayatri ShresthaRecounting the moment the floodwaters entered the holding center.

For many, the loss extended beyond clothing. Gayatri also lost crucial medical records from a past heart surgery and her essential medicines. Kamali Uraun, who had been living in a tent at the center after her informal settlement was demolished, expressed despair. "They told us they were bringing us here to protect us from floods," she said. "But the flooding here turned out to be even worse than where we were living."

The only clothes my daughter still has are the underwear and shirt she was wearing. I don't even know what I'll dress her in now.

— Gayatri ShresthaExpressing concern over her daughter's lack of clothing.

Rescue workers navigated the flooded camp in inflatable boats as dawn broke. Kamala Rai, standing on higher ground, pleaded with rescuers to check for her daily medications for high blood pressure, thyroid, and cholesterol, only to be told they would be unusable. "I take medicine every day... Now I don't even have drinking water," she lamented, highlighting the immediate survival needs of those affected.

I left behind the medical records from the heart surgery I had 12 years ago, along with my medicines.

— Gayatri ShresthaHighlighting the loss of critical personal and medical items.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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