September 4, 2026 For one of the families in Bidur‑8, Nuwakot, affected by the Bhotekoshi flood — a family of eight, where three members are persons with disabilities: • a 74‑year‑old mother‑in‑law whose legs no longer function, • a 52‑year‑old woman whose legs were burned in childhood, and • a husband who is blind. The only earning member of the household was the 48‑year‑old brother‑in‑law, who worked as a cook in the staff canteen of Trishuli 3A. He died while fleeing the flood. When our team from Engage Nepal and HomeNet Nepal reached the home of the late Ram Prasad Phuyal with relief supplies, we witnessed a heartbreaking situation. The deceased’s wife and son were observing the mourning period, while villagers and relatives were preparing for the 13‑day funeral rites. But the painful reality was this: Inside the house, there were only 5 kilos of rice. We looked through the kitchen door — there was nothing else to cook or eat. A woman who had come to help weave leaf plates said, “I will bring something from my home for tonight.” The fragile hut where the eight‑member family lives could collapse at any moment. Bidur Municipality and the Nuwakot District Administration Office had instructed us not to bring food items, saying food was not needed — only clothing and other support. So we followed those instructions. And indeed, at the holding center in Ward 8, we saw hundreds of sacks of rice and other food supplies. Yet just 30 minutes away, this family had nothing to eat. Many organizations bring relief worth hundreds of thousands, but simply hand it over to government representatives at the holding center and return. Relief piles up at the center, while flood‑affected families do not have food to cook. Not only the Phuyal family — we also visited another affected household of the Aryal family nearby with the relief we had. Their situation was almost the same. It is not that the government or donors have done nothing. But many flood‑affected families who have lost their loved ones, who are still living in their damaged homes, or who are sheltering with relatives, have not received relief. Meanwhile, the holding center is overflowing. So tell me — what kind of relief management is this?
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