Floods in Nepal: Rising death toll and concerns for women and girls

That the death toll reached more than 1,000, as of Tuesday evening. Some 4,247 people remain missing, Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN aid coordination office Ochasaid earlier in the day, briefing journalists in Geneva.

The flood disaster was triggered by the collapse of glaciers in the Himalayan mountains on the border with China. Authorities there reported that 16 people were confirmed dead and 546 people were missing, he said.

‘Real and immediate’ risks remain

Nearly a week has passed since the floods began, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) can now access the worst affected areas such as Rasuwa district.

“Search and rescue is still ongoing, and the rainy season has not stoppedsaid Matt Baden, IFRC Operations Manager for Nepal crisis response, speaking from Kathmandu.

“Clogged waterways still pose a risk of further flooding, and the threat of landslides is real and imminent.”

Meanwhile, people are looking for their house and what’s left of it.

Women and girls in need

As a result of the disaster, around 43,000 women and girls in Nepal now need immediate humanitarian assistance, according to UN Women.

Christine Arab, the agency’s Asia and Pacific Regional Director, said partners on the ground emphasize that women survivors are running out of food, while clean water is increasingly inaccessible and risks to protection are increasing.

They warned that women could be excluded from decision-making around response and recovery.

Disasters highlight gaps

He told journalists that many people who would normally receive humanitarian aid—such as pregnant women, nursing mothers and people with disabilities—had been “washed out” because they were unable to reach higher ground.

“And this is what happens when disaster meets inequality: communities left behind are often the first to be swept away by floodwaters,” he said, speaking from Bangkok.

Before the flood, women and girls in Rasuwa district already spent hours a day traveling long distances to collect water.

“Now, these women tell us that access to clean water has been completely cut off, following the destruction of water systems, roads and bridges,” he said.

The role of women in recovery

The top official added that food was the most urgent priority for women in the worst-affected areas.

Additionally, disasters also increase the risk of gender-based violence, exploitation and human trafficking, while damage to infrastructure and communications can make it difficult for survivors to get help and access protection services.

“Humanitarian responses must acknowledge the experiences of women and girls,” he said. “It must reach them and must include them as key drivers of Nepal’s recovery.”

Access to health is very important

Maintaining access to health services remains a priority, said Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO).

Six health facilities were damaged or destroyed while two others were unreachable, meaning “people on the ground do not have health facilities available when they need them most.”

He emphasized that “while immediate efforts remain focused on life-saving interventions…preventing secondary impacts on public health is equally important.”

Lindmeier explained that flooding, displacement, population density and standing water can increase the risk of disease outbreaks. In this case, WHO supports surveillance in affected and downstream areas to monitor the potential for an increase in dengue fever, typhus and other infectious diseases.

The UN agency also supports the identification of priority medicines, diagnostic equipment and essential health commodities, and provides technical guidance, including with regard to infection prevention and safe and dignified management of corpses.