Prioritise psychological support for those affected by the Bhotekoshi flood

The Bhotekoshi disaster has turned many prosperous families into squatters within seconds. Thousands of people living along the corridor have lost parents, children or other relatives, while hundreds have been injured and many more have lost their homes and property. The resulting trauma cannot simply disappear when the immediate danger passes.

Children face an especially heavy burden. Students at Tribhuvan Trishuli School in Bidur were so distressed by information about the approaching flood that some fainted before it struck the school. They then had to confront the school being swept away, the loss of family members and the disappearance of homes and people they knew.

Children who are still developing emotionally may struggle to understand or express fear, grief and anxiety. Without support, trauma can affect concentration, education and their ability to cope with future challenges. The article argues that counselling should help them gradually return to ordinary life, rather than treating psychological care as an optional service after rescue work ends.

The government remains focused on rescue and relief, a response the article describes as understandable given the scale of the emergency. But it warns that counselling cannot remain outside the priority list indefinitely. Organisations have begun offering support, yet the response remains too limited and uncoordinated. A UNICEF report says 17,000 children have been affected in recent weeks, while the number of affected older people is even higher.

Support should therefore reach communities, hospitals and temporary shelters. It should also extend beyond the three districts that suffered the most visible physical damage. People from many other districts worked in the affected areas in government services, hydropower, security, business and trade, and their families have also been affected. Videos showing survivors behaving unusually reflect the depth of losses they have witnessed, not a failure to cope.