17,000 Nepal Children Need Mental Health Support After Devastating Floods: UNICEF
Kathmandu, 15 September 2026: An estimated 17,000 children affected by the recent devastating floods in Nepal need mental health and psychosocial support, while 541 unaccompanied and separated children remain at heightened risk, UNICEF said on Tuesday.
The floods have left many children dealing with the loss of family members, damaged homes and schools, displacement and uncertainty over missing relatives. UNICEF said the disaster has caused significant emotional and social distress among children and families, requiring continued protection and recovery services.
“The floods struck during the school day, shattering children’s sense of safety in an instant,” said Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal. She said many children had witnessed distressing events and were experiencing fear, anxiety and grief, with some unable to talk about what they had experienced.
Dr Shitanshu Dhakal, Medical Officer at Trishuli Hospital in Nuwakot and a former UNICEF Youth Advocate for mental health, said children needed to remain at the centre of the mental health response.
“Fear can remain long after the disaster itself,” Dhakal said, stressing the need for immediate psychological first aid and continued support for affected children.
UNICEF said mental health and psychosocial support is being integrated into the emergency response through psychological first aid, counselling and other community-based services. The early interventions are intended to help children cope with distress, regain a sense of safety and routine, and identify those who may require specialised mental health services.
Children experiencing severe psychological distress can also face greater protection risks, including social isolation, stigma, reduced ability to cope and limited access to support services, according to UNICEF.
UNICEF is working with government authorities and other partners on family tracing, reunification and psychosocial support. So far, 18 unaccompanied and separated children have been reunited with their families, while alternative family-based care is being arranged for children who have lost both parents.
Community-based protection monitoring teams have also been deployed along key transit and displacement routes to identify children at risk, arrange referrals and help prevent trafficking, exploitation and further family separation.
Eighteen Child-Friendly Spaces have been established, including 13 supported by UNICEF. The centres provide children with safe places to play, learn and access support, with psychologists, counsellors and frontline workers operating in displacement sites and affected communities.
UNICEF has called for increased investment in child protection and mental health services as relief and recovery efforts continue in flood-affected areas.
