Over 150,000 women and girls at risk in Nepal floods: UN Women

A large number of women and girls have been affected by the devastating flash floods and landslides in Nepal, with the UN's gender agency warning of increased risks of violence, exploitation and lack of access to essential healthcare. The first gender alert published by UN Women on Sunday, August 30, said an estimated 157,050 women and girls in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts have been directly and indirectly affected by the flash floods and landslides of August 26 .

According to UN Women estimates, more than 500 people have lost their lives and nearly 1,000 remain missing, while around 10,000 homes have been destroyed. The affected areas are facing severe shortages of food and clean water, while health and protection systems have also been severely disrupted.

Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, UN Women Representative in Nepal, said inherent risks for women and girls skyrocket when disasters strike, intensifying the threat of abuse and exploitation. They also face barriers in accessing food, medicine and essential healthcare.

The gender alert said approximately one in three women in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan are illiterate, which may make it harder for them to access relief information, complete registration processes and independently claim assistance. One in three households in Bagmati Province are headed by women, with one-third of them reliant on remittances that are already under strain .

UN Women is working with the Nepalese government, UN agencies, women's rights organisations and humanitarian partners to ensure the protection and assistance of women and girls. The agency has also launched women-led community kitchen initiatives for affected communities.

Meanwhile, the agency has appealed for $2 million in emergency funding to support affected women and girls, particularly those displaced and at risk of trafficking, violence and exploitation .