Pregnant women and girls face unsafe conditions in Nepal’s flood-displacement camps
A month after deadly August floods, pregnant Karishma Tamang and other women are stuck in leaky tents with no proper sanitation or privacy.
One month after a glacier collapse caused flash floods on August 26, killing roughly 1,450 people and leaving thousands missing, pregnant Karishma Tamang, 26, still lacks stable housing, shuttling between a municipal hall in Bidur and a leaky family tent in Barahachaur with her four-year-old daughter. Her brother and his children remain missing. Other survivors, such as Sabita Tamang, 24, struggle to bathe in open areas and lack private sanitation facilities.
Save the Children Nepal’s field assessment highlights that many temporary camps in Nuwakot, Dhading and Rasuwa districts were erected without planning, lacking night lighting, separate latrines and secure spaces, which could increase the risk of harassment, trafficking, exploitation and child marriage. The organization also notes rising mental-health issues among children and disrupted schooling for over 14,000 pupils.
The Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities says authorities have intensified monitoring, coordinated with police and NGOs, and are preventing illegal adoptions and unregulated religious shelters. UNICEF reports more than 540 children are orphaned or separated, underscoring the urgent need for protection measures.
Why it matters
It shows critical gaps in safety and privacy for women and children in Nepal’s disaster relief camps.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 Scientists Spot Early Glacier Warning Signs Before Nepal Flood Disaster
- Sep 7 Chinese worker Lu Haitao was rescued from a 225‑metre hydropower tunnel and air‑lifted to a hospital.
- Sep 7 The United Nations launched a $50 million appeal to aid flood‑affected residents.
- Sep 9 Two hydropower workers were rescued after being trapped for nine days.
- Sep 9 Death toll increased to 1,365 and bodies recovered reached 1,367.
- Sep 14 UN assistant secretary‑general Kanni Wignaraja warned of expanding flood risk across the Himalayas.
- Sep 17 A new UN Environment Programme review labeled glacier melt an “immediate” climate risk.
- Sep 20 The missing‑person count was increased by roughly one thousand.
- Sep 24 A World Weather Attribution study was released indicating that human‑induced warming likely increased the likelihood of the slope collapse.
- Sep 25 Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the United Nations, requesting grant‑based assistance and proposing a Himalayan climate‑resilience mechanism.
- Sep 26 Australian families have newly demanded disclosure of mobile‑phone activity logged on August 27.
- Sep 27 An avalanche on the 7,126-metre Himlung Himal in Manang’s Nar Phu area left ten climbers and support workers unaccounted for.
- Sep 27 The UN loss‑and‑damage fund has still not announced any allocation for Nepal’s flood response.
- Sep 28 A rescue team arrived at Himlung base camp on Monday to begin searches.
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