For Mohammed, 22 years of hard work came down to a house buried under debris.
Source: Prabin Ranabhat/ Nepal Photo Library
Habitat for Humanity Nepal · Situation update
Nepal Flash Flood 2026: our response
On 26 August a flash flood came down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers from Tibet. We activated our Humanitarian Response Team within 24 hours and are working in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha with local government and humanitarian partners to get families into safe shelter. This page tracks what we have delivered and what comes next.
Updated 9 October 2026
26 Aug
Flash flood strikes
2026
2026
4
Priority districts covered: Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha
~10,000
Households estimated to need shelter support
513
Flood-affected households received Emergency Shelter Kits (ESKs)
WHAT HAPPENED
Path of the catastrophic floods
Early on 26 August 2026, a high-energy flash flood entered Nepal from Tibet. It swept down the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors, hitting Rasuwagadhi, Timure, Syafrubesi and communities further downstream in Nuwakot and Dhading.
Homes, roads, bridges and hydropower plants were destroyed or badly damaged. Many families lost their homes, their clothing and everything they needed to run a household. Around 10,000 families are estimated to need emergency shelter support.
Road access into Rasuwa has been limited, and power and network outages have slowed the delivery of aid in the most remote settlements.
Rasuwa
Rasuwagadhi, Timure, Syafrubesi along the Bhotekoshi. Our main response area, with 495 ESKs distributed in Uttargaya Rural Municipality
Nuwakot
Settlements along the Trishuli downstream. Field assessment, and excavator support to Bidur Municipality for debris clearance
Dhading
Lower Trishuli corridor. Field visits and consultations with affected families and municipal authorities
Gorkha
18 ESKs distributed in Gandaki Rural Municipality
Where we are working
Where we are working: Uttargaya Rural Municipality (Rasuwa), Bidur Municipality (Nuwakot), Gandaki Rural Municipality (Gorkha)
HOW HABITAT NEPAL IS HELPING
Every flood-damaged home here is a family with nowhere safe to sleep
10,000
families are in need of emergency shelter support
20%
of affected households Habitat Nepal aims to reach
513
households received Emergency Shelter Kits, giving up to 2,000 people immediate shelter protection*
RESPONSE TIMELINE
From alert to shelter
-
26 Aug: Flash flood strikes
A glacial flood enters Nepal from Tibet along the Bhotekoshi–Trishuli river system.
-
27 Aug: Humanitarian Response Team activated
We activate our response team within 24 hours and begin assessments with authorities and partners.
-
30 Aug: First Emergency Shelter Kits shipped
The first deployment leaves for Rasuwa. 495 kits are ready.
-
18 Sept: Additional ESKs deployed in Gorkha
Additional 18 ESKs to Gandaki Municipality in Gorkha.
-
29 Sept: Transitional shelter consultation and design draft
Coordination with DUDBC and Nepal Shelter cluster for transitional shelter design
HABITAT NEPAL'S RESPONSE
From emergency to rebuilding
We are working in phases so that families get cover now, help to repair or rebuild safely next, and support for a lasting home after that.
PHASE 1
Emergency response
First 0-3 months (Sept - Nov)*
Emergency Shelter Kits (ESKs) are distributed so families can make immediate repairs and put up temporary shelter while the situation stabilises.
- 513 flood-affected households received Emergency Shelter Kits (ESKs)
- Supported household verification, community consultation and shelter-needs analysis with local governments
PHASE 2
Transitional recovery
Early Recovery (Oct - August) 10 months*
Durable transitional shelters with basic sanitation, alongside conditional cash transfers that let families meet their own most urgent recovery needs.
- Transitional community shelters in 3 communities
- Transitional shelter construction using local material and local techniques for 300 families
- Conditional Cash Support – shelter repair/ rental support for 700 families
- Support local governments with detailed damage assessment
- Monitoring and evaluation
Emergency Shelter Kit (ESK) deployment
Uttargaya Gaupalika, Rasuwa
Our first Emergency Shelter Kits left for Rasuwa on 30 August, four days after the flood. Each kit gives a family the materials and tools to put up a safe temporary shelter or weatherproof a damaged home. We distributed 495 ESKs in Uttargaya Rural Municipality, Rasuwa, and 18 ESKs in Gandaki Rural Municipality, Gorkha. That makes 513 households in total. Distribution was based on household verification and community consultation with ward and municipal offices, so the families who needed cover most urgently were reached first. Local NGO and community volunteers helped with assessment and distribution.
Emergency Shelter Kits Checklist
WHAT’S IN THE KIT
- Tarpaulin sheets (18×15 ft)
- Tarpaulin sheets (24×18 ft)
- PP Rope (5-6 mm diameter)
- Rope (15 m laundry rope to tie the tarpaulin tight)
- Blanket (215 x 230 cm)
- Multipurpose Chatai Mats (4×5 ft)
- PP Foam (Thickness: 12mm and 2 meter per piece)
Debris clearance support
Devighat, Bidur-5, Nuwakot
Habitat Nepal is supporting Bidur Municipality with excavator machinery to clear flood debris – helping the community take its first steps toward recovery.
~2500 tons of debris cleared so far.
Working with government and partners
Immediate shelter only works when it fits a wider recovery plan. We are:
- Coordinating with government: working with NDRRMA, DUDBC, district and local governments, and District and Local Disaster Management Committees
- Supporting the Nepal Shelter Cluster: as an active member, giving advisory support to DUDBC and sharing transitional shelter designs and early-recovery options
- Working with humanitarian partners: through AIN, Habitat’s Asia-Pacific Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Reduction team, and other humanitarian and development partners
- Delivering safely and inclusively: prioritising the most vulnerable, with safeguarding, accountability, gender and disability inclusion, and do-no-harm built into every distribution
We did this despite disrupted roads, landslide risks and difficult access. Along the way, we have connected government recovery planning with field evidence and the voices of affected families. We have also mobilised additional shelter stock, technical expertise and partnerships to expand the response.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
In their own words
The families we are working with, and the people on our team who are with them.
Two sons, younger son in China, along with the daughter-in-law. They have the pass, but stuck
Manju cuts open the emergency shelter kit with a sickle. She looks for the tarpaulin. “I
Parbati, 33, was in Naubise when the water came. In minutes, the place she knew was
After the flash flood tore through Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts on 26 August, Rasuwa alone
THE CHALLENGE
Crisis declared zones
Steep, remote terrain and damaged road access shape everything about how and how quickly shelter can reach these communities.
WITH THANKS
Collaborating partners
Organizations that have supported Habitat Nepal's flash flood response.
ON THE GROUND
The scale of the impact
BEFORE/ AFTER IMAGERY
Satellite view of affected areas
*Drag the divider to compare two images side by side*
Looking ahead
Immediate shelter was the starting point. We are continuing technical engagement, detailed assessment and recovery planning to help affected families move towards safer transitional shelter and resilient permanent homes. This page will keep updating with new photos, figures and progress as they’re confirmed.
© 2026 Habitat for Humanity Nepal