Protect the health and well-being of flood survivors

For people who survived Nepal’s floods, the emergency did not end when the water receded. In Rasuwa and Dhading, displaced people and patients face shortages of essential medicines, unsafe water, poor sanitation and uncertain access to healthcare.

Trishuli Hospital in Nuwakot is also running short of medicines and fuel for generators and ambulances. Floodwaters destroyed roads, bridges, electricity lines and internet connections, making it harder to keep services operating. But the editorial argues that survivors should not lose access to medicine and basic care because infrastructure has failed.

People with diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and heart disease are especially vulnerable after losing their regular medicines. Pregnant women, new mothers, children and older people may require emergency care and adequate nutrition. UNICEF says more than 17,000 children need urgent humanitarian assistance.

Unsafe drinking water, crowded shelters, inadequate toilets and poor hygiene could encourage waterborne and communicable diseases. The editorial calls for purification supplies, sanitation materials, medical equipment and trained local health workers, particularly where larger facilities cannot be reached.

It urges authorities to keep their promise of free treatment and build health systems that can withstand disasters. The editorial points to Nepal’s experience after the 2023 Jajarkot earthquake, when people lacked adequate shelter and clothing, as a warning against allowing preventable health problems to follow a disaster.