Each morning at a school in flood-ravaged Nepal, teachers taking attendance are faced with a painful reminder of the disaster. They mark in red the names of students who never came back to class. The catastrophic flood, triggered by a glacial collapse near the China-Nepal border, has killed more than 1,400 people, mostly in Nepal. Over 5,000 remain missing in the Himalayan nation one month after the tsunami-like waves swept away roads, bridges, and settlements.
At the Neelakantha Secondary School in hard-hit Rasuwa district, a teacher marked red circles beside the names of children missing since the August 26 flood. The school, sitting on relatively higher ground, remained largely intact, but it lost 70 students and four teachers. Principal Madhav Lamichhane said every family in Rasuwa has lost a family member. All students and teachers are going through the same pain.
Most of the missing Neelakantha pupils were on their way to school from riverside settlements when floodwaters tore through the valley. Teacher Rama Paudel remembered the students with every breath, saying they lost their lives at a young age. It's a great loss. Across Rasuwa and neighboring districts, around 500 students and 24 teachers remain missing, while 18 schools have been damaged.
The recovery costs for the damaged schools are estimated at up to $15.47 million, according to government data. Education ministry spokesman Shree Prasad Bhattarai said this is the worst situation ever experienced by the education sector. Initial assessments by UNICEF show learning has been disrupted for more than 14,000 children at 62 schools and learning centers across the flood-affected region.
UNICEF representative Alice Akunga said education is a critical part of children's recovery after a disaster. Returning to learning provides children with a sense of stability, routine, and hope at a time when many have experienced significant loss and uncertainty. However, sending children back to school is not yet possible for many families.
Fewer than half of Neelakantha Secondary School's 508 students have resumed classes since lessons restarted two weeks ago. Principal Lamichhane said around 150 students were still unable to reach school because bridges and roads had been swept away. Some classrooms have been repurposed as relief distribution centers, underscoring the challenges of restoring normalcy.
Teachers say psychological scars may prove even harder to overcome than damaged infrastructure. Teacher Shiva Ram Bhatta said many students do not have their parents or have seen their friends being swept away. It has been a month, but it is difficult for them to focus. Relief supplies are reaching many survivors, but the next phase of recovery will require much more than food and shelter.
Key points
- Over 1,400 people killed and 5,000 missing in Nepal floods
- 70 students and four teachers lost at Neelakantha Secondary School
- Education sector faces worst situation ever with 14,000 children affected
