Nepal’s flood response must put children at its centre

At least 17,000 children have been affected by Nepal’s recent floods, according to UNICEF’s initial assessment. That figure is expected to change as access improves, but each number represents a child who may have lost a home, a school, a caregiver or a sense of normality.

The flooding has destroyed homes, swept away roads and bridges, and damaged schools and health facilities. Families are searching for loved ones, while people have died and others remain missing. Children have been displaced, including those sheltering at a school in Uttargaya.

Emergency teams must rescue people, provide food and water, arrange shelter and treat the injured. But child protection cannot wait until those immediate needs have been met. Children separated from caregivers may be living in overcrowded shelters among strangers, and silence should not be mistaken for safety.

Flood emergencies can increase children’s exposure to violence, abuse, exploitation, trafficking, child labour and neglect. They can also leave children facing fear, grief and psychological distress after the water recedes. The response therefore needs to ask not only whether families have shelter, but whether girls and boys can sleep safely, use secure sanitation facilities, receive help if threatened, and obtain support when they have disabilities.