Amid heartache of Nepal flooding disaster, fear remains

Six weeks after Nepal’s deadly flooding disaster, communities are still struggling to rebuild their lives, but they will need sustained help as global warming increases the risk of another Himalayan catastrophe, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. At least 1,400 people were killed, including 84 children, and nearly 5,300 people are still missing, after a mountain of glacial ice and rock collapsed into the Bhotekoshi, Upper Trishuli and Narayani-Gandak rivers in late August, unleashing a massive torrent that washed away bridges and homes.Lasting traumaIn an update from Kathmandu, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder highlighted the traumatic experience of 16-year-old Sahara, who he met this week at a technical training supported by the agency. “Her mum was swept away by the floods and killed. Through tears, Sahara told me, ‘It's not nice to live without a mum.’”Today, areas of impacted towns and villages “look like war zones”, Mr. Elder stressed, while access to some communities in Rasuwa remains difficult. “They continue to receive airlifted relief supplies in the most isolated areas,” said Caroline Holt, Director for Disasters, Climate and Crises at the International Federa...