Nepal is grappling with a growing humanitarian crisis involving hundreds of children who have lost their parents to catastrophic flooding, yet remain trapped in a legal gray area that prevents them from being officially classified as orphans. Nearly four weeks after the disasters struck on August 26, more than 500 children are residing in temporary shelter homes across affected districts, with over 1,000 total children reported to be in such facilities.
The floods, which have claimed at least 1,400 lives and left approximately 5,000 people missing, have upended the lives of an estimated 32,000 children. While relief organizations and government officials are actively working to trace families and reunite displaced minors, the bureaucratic process for declaring missing persons dead creates significant delays.
Under Nepali law, an individual must be absent for 12 years before they can be legally declared deceased. Although a disaster exemption exists, it requires relatives to petition a district court for a judicial declaration of death. Until such paperwork is finalized, children like nine-year-old Ram Thakur exist in a state of prolonged uncertainty.
Thakur is currently staying at a converted government primary school in Nuwakot district, which serves as a shelter for 27 children. He was separated from his mother while fleeing rising floodwaters on his way to school. His father, a guide and driver, was at home at the time and has also not been located.
“Mummy and papa knew how to swim so they should have come by now,” Thakur said, expressing confusion over his parents’ absence. Despite the passage of weeks, he continues to run toward the sound of helicopters, hoping for a rescue that would bring his family back.
Ayush Joshi, program director for Save the Children in Nepal, noted that recent assessments found 439 children in shelters were without parents but had other relatives, while more than 100 were completely unaccompanied. Leon Muwoni, who oversees child protection at UNICEF Nepal, confirmed that only 18 children have been successfully reunited with their parents so far.
The psychological toll on these children is severe. In Dhading district, four-year-old Shibani Tama has stopped speaking entirely after both parents were confirmed dead. Caregivers report that she does not recognize her surroundings or relatives and requires assistance with basic hygiene. Other children exhibit signs of extreme trauma, such as ten-year-old Sanju Lama, who became the primary caregiver for her two-year-old brother after their home was swept away in Rasuwa district.
“They are the only ones for each other now,” said Yamuna Bhattarai, a caregiver in Dhading. She noted that Sanju often wakes up frightened at night and holds her brother’s hand constantly.
Infrastructure damage has further compounded the crisis. UNICEF reports that 18 schools have been destroyed and another 20 damaged, leaving roughly 10,000 school-age children without safe educational spaces. Additionally, aid workers face challenges in distributing toys and learning materials, as many traumatized children remain too withdrawn to engage in play.
Authorities are also exercising caution regarding family reunification. Muwoni stated that some children remain in shelters even when relatives are identified, pending verification of guardianship to prevent risks of trafficking or child labor. For now, children like Thakur wait in dimly lit shelters, watching the horizon for a relief helicopter that may never return their parents.
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