Flood-hit districts in Nepal see over 1,500 children facing acute malnutrition

A recent Ministry of Health and Food Safety assessment identified more than 1,500 children in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading districts as moderately acutely malnourished after the August 26 Bhotekoshi flood, with 13 children classified as severely acute cases requiring urgent care. The flood destroyed dozens of schools, health facilities, toilets and water systems, leaving families without livelihoods. Health officials, led by Lila Bikram Thapa, are preparing to deliver 6 kg of micronutrient-blended fortified flour each month to pregnant women and new mothers for three months, and 3 kg per child for six months through UNICEF.

Nutrition specialists such as Atul Upadhyaya and Aruna Uprety caution that current relief supplies often consist of instant noodles, increasing the risk of children slipping into severe malnutrition. They call for immediate, protein-rich supplementary feeding to halt the progression of wasting, which remains a silent crisis in Nepal. The situation underscores the need for substantial investment in nutrition interventions to meet the country’s Sustainable Development Goals targets.