Credit: UNICEF
Luxembourg-based SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde and UNICEF have launched appeals for support following the devastating flash floods that struck Nepal on Wednesday 26 August 2026, with both organisations focusing particularly on the needs and protection of children.
The floods have severely affected the districts of Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, destroying homes and infrastructure and leaving communities isolated. According to UNICEF, at least 17,000 children have been affected and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
On Thursday 27 August 2026, the organisation reported that an estimated 332 people had died, including at least fourteen children, while hundreds remained missing. The death toll was expected to rise as search operations continued.
UNICEF reported that roads, bridges, water systems and telecommunications networks had been severely damaged. Eighteen schools were completely destroyed and another 20 damaged, with an estimated 10,000 school-age children requiring emergency support to continue their education.
Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative in Nepal, said: “In Rasuwa and Dhading, children saw their lives literally disappear before their eyes in an instant, as their homes, classrooms and health facilities were swept away. Many have lost their lives or lost loved ones. As the death toll continues to rise, we know that this tragedy is far from over. Children who survived the floods now face increased risks of disease, malnutrition, violence and exploitation. While UNICEF is already on the ground and working to strengthen its support, additional resources are urgently needed to reach every child in need.”
UNICEF is working with the Nepalese government and humanitarian partners to provide assistance in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, child protection and social protection. Emergency supplies including medical tents, mosquito nets, newborn kits, therapeutic food and hygiene kits are being deployed. The organisation is also working to identify and reunite children separated from their families and has launched an appeal for $17.2 million (about €14.8 million) to support its emergency response and early recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, SOS Villages d'Enfants Monde announced from Luxembourg that it was joining relief efforts and launching its own solidarity appeal. According to the organisation, its teams and programme beneficiaries in Nepal's Bagmati Province are safe, while its facilities in Jorpati, Kavre and Sanothimi have not been affected.
SOS Villages d'Enfants has been present in Nepal since 1972 and is currently assessing needs in the worst-affected districts. Its planned priorities include child protection, care for unaccompanied children and family reunification, mental health and psychosocial support, emergency shelter, food, drinking water and hygiene supplies, as well as temporary learning centres for children.
UNICEF is also scaling up its emergency response in cooperation with the Nepalese government and humanitarian partners. The organisation is providing support in health, nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, child protection and social protection. Medical tents, mosquito nets, newborn kits and therapeutic food for children suffering from acute malnutrition are among the supplies set to be delivered to the hardest-hit communities, while emergency hygiene kits are already being distributed. UNICEF is also working to identify and reunite children separated from their families and provide emergency cash assistance to affected households.
Those wishing to support the organisation's emergency response in Nepal can make a donation via https://sosve.lu/.
