Three weeks after the devastating flash floods in Nepal, about 17,000 children require urgent mental health and psychosocial support in the country, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
Triggered by glacier collapse, the 26 August floods affected more than 84,000 Nepalis – including about 32,000 children – and damaged critical roads, schools, power grids and water systems across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading regions of northern Nepal.
Local authorities report more than 1,300 killed and more than 5,000 still missing on the Nepal side of the border, and at least 43 people killed and 519 still missing on the Tibetan side, according to official Chinese Government figures.
Many children affected by the floods witnessed the loss of loved ones and the destruction of their schools while some remain displaced from their communities.
Some 541 children remain separated from their families and require protection, UNICEF reported.
“Beyond the visible destruction, these floods have left deep emotional scars on children and families,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative in Nepal. “Alongside humanitarian supplies and restoration of critical infrastructure, children need mental health and psychosocial support to help them process what happened, regain a sense of security and begin to recover.”
by UN News – UNICEF says thousands of children require mental health support after Nepal floods
