Floods in Nepal threaten jobs of over 21,000 workers

The International Labour Organisation’s rapid assessment finds that roughly 21,400 people living within four kilometres of the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli floodplain have seen their jobs and incomes disrupted by the recent flash flood. Damage to homes, workplaces, roads, bridges and energy infrastructure has blocked workers’ ability to reach employment, markets and essential services. Tourism, agriculture, transport and micro-enterprise sectors are experiencing sharp pressure, with guides, porters, hotel staff, transport operators and farm labourers among those most affected.

Because Nepal’s economy relies heavily on informal work, many lack social-protection buffers, making income losses swift even where jobs remain technically intact. The destruction of the Nepal-China trade route, especially the Rasuwa and Tatopani border crossings, could transmit employment shocks to a wider region. The ILO urges immediate income support, job-matching, skills training and reconstruction that creates decent work to mitigate the broader fallout.