About 157,050 women and girls affected by floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts face increased risks of violence, exploitation and trafficking, UN Women said. The agency is seeking $2 million to support affected communities.

Flood-affected women and girls in Nepal face increased risks of violence, exploitation and trafficking

UN Women warns that women and girls affected by the floods face heightened risks of violence, exploitation and trafficking.

About 157,050 women and girls in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts have been affected by floods and face increased risks of violence, exploitation and trafficking, UN Women said.

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The agency said the disaster has also made it harder for women and girls to access food, water, health care and protection services, while existing risks can intensify during emergencies.

“What we do know is that existing risks for women and girls skyrocket when disasters hit,” Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, UN Women’s representative in Nepal, said in a statement.

Women also shoulder a greater share of unpaid care work and face greater difficulties accessing information and assistance, Fernandez-Pacheco said.

In Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts, about one in three women is illiterate, according to UN Women. The agency said this can make it harder for women to access information about aid, complete registration procedures and apply for assistance independently.

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Pressure on Female-Headed Households

UN Women also highlighted the financial pressures facing female-headed households in Bagmati Province. One in three households in the province is headed by a woman, and one-third of those households depend on remittances, a source of income currently under pressure.

The agency said it is working with Nepal’s government and other humanitarian organizations to help women and girls access essential services and protection and to ensure their participation in recovery efforts.

UN Women is seeking $2 million to support people affected by the floods. Part of the funding would go toward a women-managed community kitchen initiative designed to provide emergency food while creating employment and opportunities for women to participate in the recovery.

Death Toll Reaches 919

The humanitarian crisis has continued to worsen as international rescue teams join operations to locate more than 3,000 people still missing in Nepal and China.

Nepalese authorities say more than 2,500 people remain missing in the country, including hundreds of foreign tourists, while China has reported 546 people unaccounted for. The figures have not been reconciled through a unified cross-border system.

The death toll has reached 919, with Nepal reporting 903 fatalities and China 16.

A total of 591 foreign nationals remained out of contact in Nepal on Sunday, five days after flooding struck several districts, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. Authorities have rescued 289 foreign tourists, including 180 Indian and 89 Chinese citizens.

UN Women said the response must address both immediate humanitarian needs and the heightened risks faced by women and girls as recovery efforts continue.

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