Aid has begun reaching survivors of catastrophic flash floods that devastated parts of Nepal near the Chinese border, as the full extent of the destruction becomes clearer and thousands seek shelter. The United Nations children's agency has warned that at least 17,000 children are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
Rescuers are working through mud and debris in areas where entire villages were swept away in minutes by the powerful floodwaters. The International Red Cross estimates that at least 93,000 people have been affected and are in "great need."
In Nuwakot, a region near the capital Kathmandu, the landscape is covered in sediment and mud, with remnants of homes and belongings scattered throughout. Survivors have gathered at roadside tea shops and makeshift army relief centers for shelter. The Associated Press observed a school in Nuwakot being used as a temporary aid distribution point, where non-governmental organizations provided solar panels, clothing, and basic hygiene items.
"What I’ve been given today is worth more than a million," said Kanchi Nepali, a survivor. "I have no food, no shelter, no utensils to cook with. Only my body survived."
Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported on Friday that the number of missing people has nearly doubled to just under 2,000. Approximately 14,829 security personnel have been mobilized for search and rescue operations, utilizing drones in dangerous areas.
Those rescued are being taken to Maithali Barrack, a military training center in Nuwakot transformed into a relief camp. Helicopters are ferrying people and supplies, while community members gather outside the center hoping for news of loved ones.
Army medics at the center have provided care to local residents, foreign tourists, and Chinese workers rescued from the flood zone. Critically injured individuals, such as a pregnant woman who began experiencing labor pains, are airlifted to a hospital. The center is also attempting to reunite children separated from their families.
The facility has also become a site of grief, with recovered bodies awaiting identification. At least 18 schools have been destroyed and another 20 damaged by the floods, impacting educational access for many children.
One resident recounted receiving government flood warning messages on his phone but initially paying little attention, having experienced lesser floods previously. However, the latest deluge, which he described as an enormous cascade of water rushing from the hills, forced him to flee to higher ground with only his cellphone and the clothes he was wearing.