Disabled couple offer shelter and food to flood victims

In a remote hillside home in Nepal, a disabled couple are offering a beacon of hope to those devastated by the Bhotekoshi River flood. Prem Bahadur Tamang, who uses a walking stick due to a spinal injury, and his wife Maiya, who has difficulty with her left leg, have opened their doors to strangers since the disaster struck.

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Look, the flood is destroying everything.

Their small house, with a corrugated zinc-sheet roof, has become a sanctuary for more than 200 people displaced by the flood. Since August 16, when the floodwaters surged, the couple has hosted students and teachers from a nearby school, as well as families desperately searching for missing relatives. Between 15 and 20 people arrive daily, seeking water, food, and a place to rest.

The Tamangs' generosity stands out as government support has yet to adequately reach the affected area. They survive on a combined monthly government allowance of Rs5,000 and occasional financial help from their children. Despite their own limited resources and struggles to protect their crops from monkeys, they ensure no guest goes hungry.

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People were swept away and houses were buried right before our eyes. We were in no condition to go and rescue anyone. We kept watching the Bhotekoshi, thinking the flood would not reach this high. But within seconds, Betrawati Bazaar had turned into a riverbed. The road used by vehicles was swept away. The school was submerged and school buses were buried.

Prem Bahadur, a resident of the area for four generations, described the flood as an unprecedented disaster. He witnessed houses being buried and people swept away, transforming the Betrawati Bazaar into a riverbed within seconds. "We were in no condition to go and rescue anyone," he recalled, watching the devastation unfold.

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That is how we survive.