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🇳🇵 Nepal /Health & Science

The floodwaters have receded, but the fear remains

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Ongoing story
  • Children affected by the August 26 floods in Nuwakot, Rasuwa and nearby districts are reporting sleeplessness, panic and distress after witnessing destruction or losing relatives.
  • UNICEF estimates that 17,000 children were affected, while local authorities and schools say 622 students in Rasuwa and Nuwakot remain unaccounted for.
  • Survivors such as 16-year-old Samiksha Dangol and a 21-month-old child in Rasuwa continue to experience trauma after the floodwaters receded.

Sixteen-year-old Samiksha Dangol was walking home from school in Nuwakot when a traffic officer stopped her and her father at a bridge, warning that the flood was rising. They waited, believing the rest of the family had escaped. They had not.

Samiksha’s older sister, brother and two aunts were missing in the flood. After spending days at a temporary holding centre, she moved to her maternal relatives’ home, but August 26 continues to return in her thoughts. She struggles to sleep, cries, feels restless and remembers playing with her siblings. “I tell myself to forget it,” she said. “But I keep thinking about my sister and brothers. The things we did together keep playing in my mind.”

The disaster has also worsened her physical condition. Samiksha already suffered from migraines, and she became so unwell that she and her mother were taken to hospital. The family had lost so much that her usual medicine was unavailable.

I tell myself to forget it. But I keep thinking about my sister and brothers. The things we did together keep playing in my mind.

· Samiksha DangolThe 16-year-old described the memories and grief that continued after surviving the flood.

Across Nuwakot, Rasuwa and neighbouring districts, many children face a less visible aftermath. Some wake during the night, withdraw or panic at sounds associated with the disaster. In Rasuwa, a 21-month-old boy cries when he hears a helicopter. His mother, Karsang Tamang, said she grabbed him as floodwaters swept through Timure, where people were screaming and running. “He had never been like this before,” she said. “Now he gets startled and frightened from time to time. When he panics, it causes me a lot of pain too.”

UNICEF estimates that 17,000 children were affected by the floods. Nepal’s disaster authority said 6,901 students at 19 schools in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading were affected. Local education offices, municipalities and schools estimate that 622 students in Rasuwa and Nuwakot remain unaccounted for after the Bhotekoshi flooding.

He had never been like this before. Now he gets startled and frightened from time to time. When he panics, it causes me a lot of pain too.

· Karsang TamangThe mother described her toddler’s reaction to loud noises after the flood.
About this summary

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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