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🇸🇬 Singapore /Disasters & Emergencies

Women survivors face sanitation crisis in Nepal relief camp

From The Straits Times · () English

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

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Women displaced by Nepal’s Aug. 26 flash floods reported inadequate toilets, limited water and poor conditions at a relief camp in Nuwakot.
  • One camp resident said three toilets served more than 400 people, while used sanitary pads were difficult to dispose of safely.
  • UN Women estimated that 43,000 women and girls in Nepal needed immediate humanitarian assistance.

At a school shelter in Nepal’s Nuwakot district, three toilets serve more than 400 people displaced by the Aug. 26 flash floods. None has running water, and women at the camp say sanitation and privacy have become urgent concerns.

There are privacy as well as sanitation concerns.

— Anju BhujelA flood survivor described conditions at the Nuwakot school shelter.

Anju Bhujel, 40, said she was living at the camp with her two young children after their home was swept away. Aid groups and authorities have provided shelter and food, but residents continue to struggle with basic personal-care needs.

An NGO distributed sanitary pads, but disposal has become a problem. “There are privacy as well as sanitation concerns,” Bhujel said. “You can find used pads strewn around all the bathrooms.”

You can find used pads strewn around all the bathrooms.

— Anju BhujelShe explained the difficulties of disposing of sanitary products at the camp.

Yogita Tamang, whose family of 20 is staying in a crowded classroom, said the supplies did not meet every need. “They are giving us pads but we don’t have undergarments,” she said. “What will we do with pads if we don’t have underwear?”

They are giving us pads but we don’t have undergarments.

— Yogita TamangTamang described the gap between the supplies provided and residents’ needs.

The United Nations Population Fund distributed dignity kits containing pads, soap, underwear and other essentials at the shelter. Camp manager Jyoti Gaihre said more underwear would be distributed after the first supply failed to reach everyone. Residents also reported shortages of drinking water. UN Women said safe water was becoming increasingly inaccessible, while the agency estimated that 43,000 women and girls needed immediate humanitarian assistance. Aid agencies warned that overcrowded shelters, shared facilities and lost privacy can create additional risks for women and girls.

What will we do with pads if we don’t have underwear?

— Yogita TamangShe stressed that menstrual-hygiene supplies were insufficient without basic clothing and privacy.
About this summary

Originally published by The Straits Times 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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