Nepal: 8-year-old boy reunited with mother after surviving Nepal floods

An 8-year-old boy in Nepal, Zoyal Ghale, has been safely reunited with his mother, Matti Maya Tamang, after a harrowing ordeal during devastating floods. Ghale had escaped the rising waters by fleeing into the forest and climbing a tree, where he remained until his rescue.

He was eventually airlifted by helicopter from the Rasuwa district in northern Nepal, suffering from a broken leg and facial wounds. His mother, Tamang, had been desperately searching for him and his brother, moving between various shelters and collection points. She had begun to fear the worst after their names were not found on victim lists.

"At the fourth place, my son's name was not on the list, and they were not there either. I had started to accept that both my children might be gone. All I could do was cry. I couldn't calm myself down at all," Tamang recounted to Reuters, describing her despair.

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At the fourth place, my son's name was not on the list, and they were not there either. I had started to accept that both my children might be gone. All I could do was cry. I couldn't calm myself down at all.

The floods have had a significant impact on children in Nepal. According to UNICEF, at least 17,000 children have been affected in the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts, north of Kathmandu. UNICEF is collaborating with the Nepali government to identify and register children separated from their families and facilitate their reunification.

Tamang's family is among the fortunate ones. The disaster has claimed at least 580 lives, with approximately 2,500 people still missing across Nepal and Tibet, China. After multiple failed attempts to find her son, Tamang contacted a Reuters journalist who had met Ghale earlier at a small hospital. The journalist had interviewed Ghale, hoping his family would see him and identify him, and left her contact information at the hospital.

"When you told me that you knew Zoyal's whereabouts, I felt like I couldn't believe it. I had lost hope of finding them. After I found my eldest son, I felt like my life had returned," Tamang expressed, highlighting the immense relief and joy of being reunited with her child.

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When you told me that you knew Zoyal's whereabouts, I felt like I couldn't believe it. I had lost hope of finding them. After I found my eldest son, I felt like my life had returned.