In the space of five minutes, Samjhana Poudel lost almost everything, but managed to save herself and her children.
On the morning of August 26th 2026, Samjhana, 35, was getting her seven- and nine-year-old ready for school in the Nuwakot district of Nepal, when loudspeakers began warning of rising floodwaters.
Living with her mother, sister, husband and two children, she assumed it was a routine alert about the river; the kind of announcement her community had heard many times before.
She was wrong. Around 9 in the morning, panicked screams broke out in the street. Samjhana looked outside and understood immediately: the water was coming for her home. She grabbed her two children and ran for higher ground.
“Within just five minutes, the floodwater surged into our house. It swept away everything – our belongings, our food, clothing, and even parts of our home. I was only able to save my children,” Samjhana says.
Your support can help families affected by the emergency
A community left under the open sky
Samjhana’s family is not alone. 6 to 8 neighbours’ households were destroyed within minutes, leaving families without shelter, food, clothing, or even the government documents they need to rebuild their lives.
With the river now flowing where their homes once stood, many cannot return to what is left of their property.
“My children keep asking about our damaged house and when we will get food to eat. If we had been informed just a bit earlier, I could have saved our important documents, clothes, and some food supplies,” Samjhana says.
Families in the area are in shock, having watched their homes and belongings disappear in front of them. Samjhana says her family and other affected families urgently need safe drinking water, food, clothing and temporary shelter.
Mission East is responding
For families like Samjhana’s, the immediate priority is meeting the most basic needs in the days following the disaster.
Within 24 hours of the floods, Mission East’s local partner KIRDARC Nepal’s Emergency Response Team visited Dhunge Bazar in Bidur Municipality, Nuwakot, to assess the situation and speak directly with affected families.
These rapid field assessments help identify the most urgent needs and inform how humanitarian assistance should be prioritised.
Mission East is working with our local partner KIRDARC Nepal as it assesses needs in affected communities, delivers assistance to meet the most urgent needs, and coordinates with the relevant Nepalese authorities.
Your donation can help families like Samjhana’s get the emergency assistance they urgently need
