Two weeks have passed since catastrophic flash floods struck Nepal, yet the number of confirmed dead and unaccounted individuals continues to climb. In Kathmandu, outside a military base in Bidur, and at public hospitals, hundreds of photographs depicting missing persons have been displayed. Scores of families visit these sites daily, awaiting any news—whether positive or negative—regarding their loved ones.
Rescue personnel are engaged in an urgent race against time to aid survivors, locate those still alive, and identify the deceased. Because air access has become the sole means of reaching remote regions severed from the rest of the country, teams have been conducting repeated helicopter sorties.
Civil society groups have also rallied to support relief operations, with a significant contribution coming from Nepal’s Generation Z demographic. Correspondents Alban Alvarez and Fantine Dantzer for FRANCE 24 joined a humanitarian convoy traveling along one of the nation’s most dangerous roads, covering areas from Kathmandu to Betrawati.
Generation Z stepping up is a positive note. It shows the power of collective action when government response feels too slow.
It breaks my heart to see the photos displayed everywhere. Missing persons cases are never easy, but this scale is devastating.
My thoughts are with the families waiting at Bidur. I hope they find their loved ones, whether alive or safe.
How can air access remain the only way to these remote villages? Infrastructure investment has been critically overdue for years.
Two weeks and counting. The resilience of the Nepali people and the youth volunteers is truly inspiring in the face of such tragedy.