Source: Save the Children New Zealand
Protection measures for girls need to be intensified across flood-affected areas of Nepal amid growing concerns over trafficking, violence, exploitation and child marriage one month after the country’s devastating floods, Save the Children said.
Uncertainty over permanent housing and livelihoods is putting girls at risk one month after the flash flood that killed at least 1,400 people with about 5,700 still missing. [1].
About 1,000 people remain in communal holding centres, where girls have reported concerns about privacy and safety due to the movement of unfamiliar people through shared spaces. Some girls are living in tents in camps on the periphery of towns with inadequate lighting at night, creating a safety risk. Other families have moved into rented rooms, often far away from their communities.
Save the Children is working alongside local authorities and partners to strengthen protection measures in displacement sites, including increased monitoring and surveillance, awareness raising on gender-based violence and child marriage, and expanding access to psychosocial support and case management services for children and their families.
The organisation is also supporting police at checkpoints to identify and respond to signs of trafficking and exploitation affecting children, adolescents and women, helping ensure those at risk are connected to social protection services and specialist support.
Weakened community protection due to displacement as well as the loss of education, livelihoods and incomes is compounding the risks for girls in Nepal where more than a third of girls are married as children, according to the 2021 census. [2].
Girls married as children are more likely to leave school, experience early pregnancy, face restrictions on their decision-making, and experience multiple forms of gender-based violence throughout their lives.
Trafficking is also seen as a risk in Nepal. More than 11,500 women and girls were reported missing to police between 2024 and 2025, with nearly one in four remaining untraced, according to the National Human Rights Commission. Information from trafficking survivors indicates that 41% were trafficked for prostitution and more than a third – 37% – were girls. [3].
Tara Chettry, Country Director, Save the Children in Nepal, said:
“One month on, thousands of children are living with the impacts of that torrential wall of water and debris. The waters have gone, but fear and uncertainty remain.
“Girls are telling us they do not feel safe at displacement sites, while many children are grieving the loss of parents and loved ones. Others remain out of school, and every day out of class is a protection risk.
“Adolescent girls are often among the first to lose access to education and among the last to regain it. Protecting their rights, safety and opportunities must remain central to the response and recovery.
“These risks do not emerge from the disaster alone. They are shaped by existing gender inequalities, unequal access to resources and decision-making, and social norms that often place a disproportionate burden on girls and women during crises.”
Girls who assume increased caregiving responsibilities often face pressure to prioritise unpaid care work over education and extended periods out of school reduce the likelihood of re-enrolment. Combined with displacement and loss of income, this can increase risks of child marriage, exploitation and other forms of gender-based violence.
Sukmaya-, 18, volunteers with Save the Children and leads play-based activities for children alongside psychosocial counsellors who are supporting her and others who have been displaced. Sukmaya-‘s mother and sisters were killed when the floods tore through her village.
Sukmaya- said: “If school reopened, we could study again and meet our friends. Being back in school would help us move forward.”
Save the Children has so far reached more than 7,500 people, including about 2,300 children, with emergency assistance and support.
Save the Children has worked in Nepal since 1976. The organisation runs programmes spanning child protection, child rights governance, education, climate change, gender equality, health and nutrition and child poverty.
New Zealanders wanting to donate to Save the Children’s emergency response in Nepal can do so here.
Photos of the destruction and response
About Save the Children NZ
Save the Children works in 100 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
Captions
- CH11661100_Buildings surrounded by mud and debris after flash floods swept through the area.JPG – Buildings surrounded by mud and debris after flash floods swept through the area.
- CH11661088_Save the Children staff prepare to distribute emergency supplies for flood-affected families in Nepal.jpg – Save the Children staff prepare to distribute emergency supplies for flood-affected families in Nepal.
- CH262512_A child colours a drawing of a strawberry at a Child Friendly Space in Nuwakot (1).jpg – A child colours a drawing of a strawberry at a Child Friendly Space in Nuwakot.