Nepal Floods: Mothers Recount Harrowing Survival Amidst Devastation

The devastating flash floods that swept through the Himalayan border region of Nepal last month left an indelible mark on thousands, particularly new mothers and expectant women. Their stories of survival against overwhelming odds paint a grim picture of a humanitarian crisis unfolding.

Pooja Pariyal, 21, vividly recalls the three terrifying days she spent stranded on the roof of Trishuli hospital with her three-month-old daughter, Ridhika. Below and around the building, her town had been consumed by a sea of mud.

Those three days were living hell for me, with no food, no working toilet and no one to help with the baby,

she tearfully shared. With her milk supply dwindling from hunger, her baby cried incessantly.

Pariyal was one of approximately 50 patients, including five newborns, and medical staff trapped, scanning the skies for rescue helicopters.

Eventually, an army helicopter arrived on the fourth day, evacuating the stranded group. Ridhika was later diagnosed with pneumonia, a stark reminder of their ordeal. Now, Pooja and her baby are among 125 people sharing 25 tents at the Lamibagaichha holding centre, a temporary site in Bidur, a few miles south of Trishuli.

This catastrophic event, triggered by a glacier collapse on August 26, caused widespread destruction, sweeping away villages, roads, and bridges. Subsequent landslips and localized flooding have compounded the misery. Unicef reports staggering figures: over 1,400 people have died, more than 5,700 are missing, and over 80,000 remain in need of humanitarian assistance.

Pooja's story is particularly heartbreaking; she was at the hospital for a routine postnatal check-up when the deluge hit her home in Trishuli bazaar, destroying everything. Having rented her house, she is not entitled to government compensation, leaving her future uncertain. “It is only because of my baby that I am alive today,” she reflected.

Her experience is not isolated.

The UN Population Fund in Nepal estimates that 5,030 pregnant women have been affected by the floods.

Among them, an estimated 750 face complications, and 550 are due to give birth in the coming month, adding immense pressure on already strained healthcare resources.

Teachers in the region have also voiced concerns that the psychological scars from losing students may prove even harder to overcome than the physical damage to infrastructure, highlighting the profound and lasting impact of this disaster on the human spirit.

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