Nepal Floods Leave 22,000 Children in Urgent Need of Safe Water

UNICEF estimates that at least 22,000 children urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance as families struggle with damaged infrastructure, displacement and the growing threat of disease.

More than a week after powerful flash floods tore through Nepal's Bhotekoshi–Trishuli river basin, thousands of children are living without reliable access to clean water, working toilets and basic hygiene supplies. UNICEF estimates that at least 22,000 children urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance as families struggle with damaged infrastructure, displacement and the growing threat of disease.

Damaged Water Systems Put Families at Risk

Floodwaters have damaged community water schemes, larger supply networks, pipelines and sanitation facilities across the affected districts. Many families have moved into crowded holding centres or are staying with relatives and neighbours, where limited water and toilet facilities must be shared by far more people than they were designed to serve.

Parents now face a frightening question each time their children need a drink: whether the available water is safe. Contaminated supplies, overcrowded shelters and poor access to handwashing facilities can quickly create conditions for diarrhoea, cholera and other infectious diseases, placing young children at particular risk because dehydration and illness can become life-threatening within a short period.

"Every parent in these districts is now making the same calculation several times a day," said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative in Nepal. She stressed that waterborne diseases can be prevented when families receive safe water, sanitation services, hygiene information and treatment products quickly enough.

Emergency Supplies Reach Rasuwa and Nuwakot

UNICEF has dispatched water, sanitation and hygiene supplies for around 19,000 people in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, two districts affected by the disaster. The delivery includes more than 3,800 hygiene kits, 3,300 collapsible jerrycans, 3,500 buckets, 3,500 one-litre mugs, 4,000 bottles of water-treatment solution and over 1,000 tarpaulin sheets.

These everyday items can make a major difference after a flood. Jerrycans and buckets help families collect and store water more safely, treatment solutions reduce the danger posed by contaminated supplies, and tarpaulins provide temporary protection and privacy in places where homes or sanitation facilities have been damaged.

Disease surveillance and hygiene outreach are also being strengthened with government agencies and humanitarian partners. Families are receiving guidance on safe water handling, household treatment and personal hygiene through radio, social media, mobile messages and community networks. Mobile subscribers can access verified advice without using paid data, while more than 600 practitioners are helping the information reach affected communities.

Rebuilding for the Next Flood, Not the Last One

Emergency supplies can address immediate needs, yet lasting protection will depend on repairing and rebuilding damaged pipelines, pumps, toilets and water systems. UNICEF plans to expand emergency water delivery, water-quality monitoring, household treatment support, temporary toilets, handwashing stations, hygiene kits and menstrual hygiene supplies as access to isolated communities improves.

Reconstruction must account for the growing danger posed by future floods. Restoring infrastructure to its previous condition would leave families exposed to the same failures during the next disaster, while stronger and more flood-resilient systems could reduce displacement, disease and disruption for entire communities.

"Restoring communities' access to safe water and sanitation is not a one-week job," Akunga said, calling for facilities that can withstand future emergencies. For children living through the aftermath, clean water is more than a basic service—it is protection against illness, a source of dignity and an essential step towards returning home safely.