Skip to main content

Flood Disaster in Nepal: Your Help Is Reaching Those in Need

September 30, 2026

Dear friends, dear Back to Life sponsors,

The devastating flash flood on 26 August destroyed entire livelihoods in Rasuwa and Nuwakot within a very short time. Homes, roads and bridges were swept away, and whole areas were cut off from the outside world. Around 10,000 families lost their homes and, in many cases, loved ones as well.

From our many years of work in Nepal, and especially our experience after the severe earthquake in 2015, we know what a disaster of this scale means — and how vital swift, targeted assistance is. Our thoughts immediately turned to those who are particularly vulnerable in such circumstances: pregnant women, mothers with newborns, young children, older people and people with disabilities.

For us, one thing was clear: we wanted to act, and our team was ready.

A mother with her baby at the Rasuwa Health Camp after the flash flood

But in a disaster of this magnitude, assistance must be well coordinated. From the outset, we therefore stayed in close contact with the local authorities, working together to establish where our medical team was needed most urgently. This coordination is essential to prevent several organisations from working in the same place while other areas are overlooked. It allows help to reach the places where it can make the greatest difference.

Meanwhile, our team in Kathmandu prepared everything. Medicines and relief supplies were assembled, and a medical team was organised, including a paediatrician, a gynaecologist and midwives, a general practitioner, a pharmacist, health assistants and trauma therapists.

When we finally received the go-ahead for our Health Camp in early September, we set off immediately.

The journey alone showed how difficult the situation was. The route to Rasuwa, normally a drive of around four hours, had become impassable because of the flood. Our team had to take a long detour. The arduous journey took more than twelve hours, through pouring rain on unpaved roads and muddy tracks. Vehicles became stuck; others had to turn back because they could not cope with the conditions.

If it was already so difficult for our team, with four-wheel-drive vehicles and equipment, to reach the area, how could a pregnant woman, an older person or a mother with a newborn get medical help?

Roads and homes destroyed by the flash flood in Rasuwa

Help Where It Is Needed Most

Over two days, our team provided medical care to 342 people in Rasuwa — 238 women and 104 men. Among them were many children and infants.

Since the flood, many people have no longer had access to their usual medical care. Medicines are in short supply, existing illnesses are worsening, and exhaustion, stress and difficult hygiene conditions have placed an additional strain on people’s health.

Pregnant women and new mothers received dedicated medical care. Our team also distributed Dignity Bags containing hygiene products, clothing, towels, soap and nutritional supplements. For newborns, care packages included warm blankets, clothes, nappies and other essential items.

Things that may seem small to us mean a great deal after a disaster like this: warmth and protection, hygiene and dignity — and a little normality when life as people knew it has disappeared from one moment to the next.

The Life-Saving Power of Love

We were particularly moved by the story of a mother who ran up a hillside with her newborn to escape the approaching floodwaters. There was no time to take anything with her. In that moment, she had only one thought: to get her child to safety.

Later, she came to our Health Camp with her baby. Our team was able to examine and provide medical care for both of them, and give the mother the essential items she needed for her newborn.

Her story reflects the full force of this disaster — the fear and loss, but also the immeasurable strength and love of a mother protecting her child.

Not all wounds are visible. Memories of the sudden floodwaters, the destruction and the loss of loved ones continue to affect many people. That is why our team also included trauma therapists. In circumstances like these, helping means more than providing medical care: it also means being there, listening, and ensuring that people are not left alone with their fear and grief.

Medical care and relief supplies at the Rasuwa Health Camp

Your Help Is Reaching Those in Need

Dear friends, this mission was only possible because you supported us!

Your donation is reaching people in Rasuwa in very tangible ways: as medicine in our doctors’ hands, as an examination for a pregnant woman, as a warm blanket for a newborn, as hygiene supplies for a mother, as medical help for a sick child — and as support for people living through the unimaginable.

Dear friends, you may be physically far away, yet your help is very close to the people who need it.

The disaster may gradually disappear from the news. For the families affected, however, returning to a normal life will take a long time. We will remain by their side, and we very much hope that you will continue to accompany us.

Thank you for your trust and your willingness to help — and for joining us in showing the people of Rasuwa that they have not been forgotten.

Please stay connected. Your compassion makes the difference and brings hope in the greatest need.

I WANT TO HELP ➜
Namaste,
Yours,
Stella Deetjen