Kathmandu, Aug. 29
An estimated 157,050 women and
girls living in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts have been directly and
indirectly affected by flash floods that swept through communities on 26 August
2026, UN Women stated in a statement.
More than 500 people have been killed and
nearly 1,000 remain unaccounted for by Friday. Some 10,000 homes have been
washed away, while critical infrastructure has been destroyed. With search and
rescue operations still underway, the full scale of the disaster continues to
emerge.
"Survivors now face severe shortages
of food and water, disrupted health and protection services, and heightened
risks of violence and exploitation. These risks are particularly acute for
women and girls," read the statement.
Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, UN Women
Representative to Nepal, said that existing risks for women and girls skyrocket
when disasters hit. "More women and girls are exploited and abused. More
women and girls go hungry and without medicine when resources are scarce. There
is even evidence from previous disasters to suggest women are more likely to
die than men,” she said.
According to the UN Women, in all
disasters, women and girls are impacted disproportionately. In addition to
increased risks of violence and exploitation, women take on vastly greater
unpaid care responsibilities than men, are forced to travel even further to
secure water, and fall quicker and more deeply into poverty.
Women also experience barriers to accessing
information and assistance. Across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan
districts, approximately one in three women is illiterate, making it harder to
access information on relief efforts, complete registration processes and
independently claim assistance.
One in three households across Bagmati
Province is headed by a woman, out of which one third rely on already strained
remittances.
Within the government's overall response,
and in partnership with UN agencies, women's rights organisations and
humanitarian partners, UN Women is working to ensure women and girls can access
essential services and protection, and that the response addresses their needs.
The UN Women is mobilising resources for
its 'Community Kitchen' initiative, a women-led emergency response mechanism
providing immediate food assistance while creating opportunities for women’s
leadership, livelihoods and longer-term recovery.
Published in The Rising Nepal on 30 August 2026.
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