Pregnant flood survivor in Nepal struggles for safe housing one month after deadly flash floods

One month after deadly flash floods in Nepal swept away Karishma Tamang's community in Rasuwa District, the pregnant 26-year-old is still struggling to find a safe place to call home.

Karishma, who is expecting her second child, has been moving from place to place with her 4-year-old daughter since the devastating floods swept through Nepal's Bhotekoshi-Trishuli river corridor near the Chinese border at the end of August.

"Initially, we were kept in a covered hall at Bidur Municipality in Nuwakot District," she told DW, adding that hundreds of people shared the same shelter for days.

"Now we have shifted to a small makeshift family tent at the nearby Barahachaur area. Still, we can't sleep during rainy nights as it leaks when it rains." Her brother and his two children remain missing after the flood.

There is no proper toilet, although a small makeshift latrine has been set up near the tents, Karishma said.

Children and pregnant women like Karishma need privacy and safety, but such facilities remain scarce in the Himalaya nation's flood-hit areas.

"It would be great to have a stable place to stay, where I could cook my own meals, feel safe and have some comfort," she said.

Safety concerns in temporary shelters

The August 26 flood, triggered by a glacier collapse along the Nepal-China border, killed about 1,450 people and left more than 5,500 missing. Reconstruction costs are estimated to be $4.8 billion (€4.2 billion).

At least seven people, including girls, women and local volunteers at temporary shelters and camps, spoke to DW. Although none reported experiencing sexual harassment or abuse, their accounts point to widespread concerns about safety and vulnerability in the aftermath of the floods.

Sabita Tamang, who lost her 5-year-old daughter, nephew and niece in the floods, is also staying in a makeshift tent in Barahachaur. The 24-year-old said she has to travel beyond the nearest tap to bathe and collect water.

"We feel uncomfortable taking a bath in an open space among strangers and unknown locals," she told DW. "Many children have seen their family members, friends and neighbors caught in the floods," she said, raising concerns about the impact on their mental health and education.

Risk of trafficking and abuse

Save the Children Nepal has warned that protection measures for children and their families must be strengthened across flood-affected areas amid concerns about trafficking, violence, exploitation and child marriage.

Many families have moved into rented rooms. Yet hundreds are being housed in temporary shelters and makeshift tents in Nuwakot and Dhading districts.

Save the Children Nepal raised concerns about privacy and safety for girls and women because unfamiliar people have unrestricted access to shared spaces.

Ayush Joshi, director for advocacy, campaigns, communications and media at Save the Children Nepal, told DW that the organization's report was based on qualitative assessments involving affected people, including women and children, as well as volunteers deployed in flood-hit areas.

"Many temporary shelters are built without planning. Camps on the outskirts of towns have inadequate lighting at night and lack separate washrooms and private spaces," Joshi told DW, noting that there is unrestricted access for unfamiliar people.

"Such situations naturally increase the risk of insecurity, potential harassment and exploitation, especially for young girls and children."

According to Joshi, in the aftermath of the disaster, many people became separated from their families, while some children lost their lives and older siblings had to become caregivers for younger siblings.

"In such circumstances, cases of school dropouts and child marriage could increase," he added, referring to Save the Children's field assessment. "We have seen many children facing mental health issues, like becoming angry, frightened and crying loudly. There is a need for socio-emotional healing."

What does the government say?

The Nepali government has also assessed the risks of trafficking and potential child abuse and has collaborated with organizations such as Save the Children, the police and local authorities to strengthen protection measures at displacement sites.

Chakra Bahadur Budha, spokesperson at the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities, said the government had increased monitoring and surveillance and was raising awareness about gender-based violence and trafficking.

"We have mobilized and kept all relevant stakeholders on high alert to check at points of entry and exit, so as to protect affected people from being trafficked or abused," he told DW.

Authorities took back at least 78 children from two Buddhist monasteries in Kathmandu and placed them in temporary camps. Budha explained that the monasteries had rescued and supported the children, offering long-term shelter, education and employment, but the government discourages such arrangements outside established procedures.

"We have strictly discouraged religious or charitable organizations from keeping children without following legal procedures," Budha told DW. "Adoption has also been discouraged for now, but children can be placed with close relatives, such as uncles and aunts, for their protection after verification of their relationship."

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said at least 541 children have either lost their parents or become separated from their families.

Initial assessments indicate that learning has been disrupted for more than 14,000 children across 62 schools and learning centers in flood-affected areas in Dhading, Nuwakot and Rasuwa districts.

Edited by: Keith Walker