Relief centres in Bidur, Nepal, have become makeshift homes for hundreds of survivors displaced by the devastating flash floods that swept through the Himalayan nation, leaving families shattered and livelihoods erased. As of 2 September, organisations including NGO Karuna Care and India-based Nirpakh Aid Community are running round-the-clock operations to shelter and feed those rescued from the floodwaters.

Survivors Recount the Devastation

Among those sheltering at a makeshift tent relief centre is a man from Bihar who had operated a barber shop in Nepal for the past 26 years. He described how police had announced a dam breach roughly an hour before the deluge struck, urging residents to evacuate — a warning many, including himself, did not take seriously.

'Around an hour earlier, police had announced that a dam had breached and asked people to immediately evacuate the area. But we didn't really believe that such a thing would ever happen. It had never happened before, nor did we believe it ever would...we ran uphill after seeing a newly-constructed bridge getting washed away,' he said. His family survived, but their home, belongings, and shop were entirely lost. 'What remains is the cloth that I am wearing right now, the same one in which I ran for my life...whatever we earned for the last 26 years is gone now,' he added.

Another survivor, rescued from flood-hit Rasuwa, described the loss of nearly his entire family. 'We fled from there due to the flood...My family... father and mother are no more. My brother-in-law's family is gone. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are all gone,' he said.

Relief Operations on the Ground

Karuna Care, an NGO managing the Tamang Plaza temporary holding centre in Bidur, has been operational for over four days. Its Chairman and CEO, Dhan Raj Ghimire, said the centre is currently sheltering between 130 and 150 people, including several children who have lost one or both parents.

'There are several children who have lost either father or mother, and two or three children have lost both parents,' Ghimire said, noting that the organisation is providing breakfast, lunch, dinner, evening snacks, clothes, sanitary pads, and other essentials. 'It is like a home, and it seems like a very big family,' he added.

Joel, a volunteer with the NGO, said the centre is currently caring for 60 children, most of whom have lost their parents, homes, and all possessions.

Indian Nationals Among the Missing

India-based Nirpakh Aid Community has also deployed volunteers in Nepal to assist with rescue and relief. Its President, Gurmit Singh, said the organisation has been monitoring the situation for three to four days and distributing essential supplies. He flagged that many Indian nationals — particularly people from Punjab who had travelled to Nepal for tunnel work, tourism, or pilgrimages — are reportedly missing.

'We are visiting hospitals, police stations and other locations to gather information about them and share it with their families,' Singh said. This comes amid broader concerns about the welfare of migrant workers and pilgrims caught in the disaster zone.

Health Risk Warning From Nepal Government

Nepal's Health Minister Nisha Mehta has warned that preventing a disease outbreak remains a critical priority in the flood's aftermath. 'Any outbreak will be a huge challenge, so we are trying our best to prevent that...The main risk is of diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera etc. We are keeping medicines ready,' she said. Mehta also thanked the Indian government for dispatching aid and a forensic team for DNA testing of bodies recovered from the floodwaters.

With relief operations still in their early stages, authorities and NGOs face the twin challenge of preventing a public health crisis while continuing to locate and assist those still unaccounted for.