The authorities of Nepal have raised the death toll to nearly 1,400 this Tuesday due to the devastating flood recorded on August 26 in a northern area of the country located on the border with China, while emphasizing that more than 1,400 people remain missing nearly three weeks after the disaster.
The Nepalese Police have indicated in their latest report that so far 1,399 bodies have been located, with more than 13,700 people rescued by emergency teams deployed in the disaster area, which left nearly 50 dead and more than 500 missing in China.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted this Tuesday that more than 17,000 Nepalese children affected by the floods urgently need mental and psychosocial support to recover from the distress and trauma caused by the floods, which had “a devastating impact” on childhood.
“Beyond the visible destruction, these floods have left deep emotional scars on children and their families,” said UNICEF’s representative in Nepal, Alice Akunga, who emphasized that “the floods occurred during the school day, instantly breaking the sense of security of the boys and girls.”
“Many of them witnessed distressing scenes and now struggle with fear, anxiety, and grief; some are even unable to talk about what they experienced,” she noted. “In addition to providing humanitarian aid and repairing critical infrastructure, children need psychological and psychosocial support to help them process what happened, regain a sense of security, and begin to heal,” she explained.
In this regard, Shitanshu Dhakal, a doctor at Trishuli Hospital in Nuwakot and former UNICEF youth advocate for mental health, recounted that “the invisible burden of trauma on children and their families affected by the floods is deeply distressing.”
“Fear can persist long after the disaster. Children must be at the center of the mental health response, receiving immediate psychological first aid and ongoing support to prevent long-term consequences,” he argued.
Therefore, the organization has emphasized that psychological and psychosocial support is a vital component of the emergency response, before highlighting that it is already working with authorities and partners to provide protection to children affected by the floods through family tracing and reunification services, as well as psychosocial support.
