UN Women says an estimated 157,050 women and girls living in Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts have been affected by flash floods that swept through communities on August 26.

In a statement on Friday, the UN agency said more than 500 people had been killed and nearly 1,000 remained unaccounted for.

“Some 10,000 homes have been washed away, while critical infrastructure has been destroyed.

‘’With search and rescue operations still underway, the full scale of the disaster is continuing to emerge,” the agency said.

According to UN Women, survivors now face severe shortages of food and water, disrupted health and protection services, and heightened risks of violence and exploitation.

Those risks, the agency said, were particularly acute for women and girls.

The agency, in the statement, quoted UN Women Representative to Nepal, Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, as saying that the full scale of the horrific floods was still emerging.

“What we do know is that existing risks for women and girls skyrocket when disasters hit. More women and girls are exploited and abused.

“More women and girls go hungry and without medicine when resources are scarce.

‘’There is even evidence from previous disasters to suggest women are more likely to die than men,” she said.

UN Women said approximately one in three women were illiterate across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and Chitwan districts.

That, it said, was making it harder for them to access information on relief efforts, complete registration processes, and independently claim assistance.

The agency said it was working with the Nepal government, UN agencies, women’s rights groups and humanitarian partners to ensure women and girls could access essential services and protection.

It said it was also working to ensure the response meets their specific needs.

“UN Women is also working to ensure women can access response and recovery assistance independently and participate equally in recovery.

‘’They can access direct livelihood support through them, reducing unpaid care responsibilities, and removing barriers related to documentation, property ownership, language, and mobility,” it said.

As part of its response, UN Women said it was mobilising resources for its Community Kitchen initiative, a women-led emergency response mechanism.

According to UN Women, the initiative provides immediate food assistance while creating opportunities for women’s leadership, livelihoods, and long-term recovery.

The agency also appealed for two million dollars to ensure women and girls affected by the floods could access the assistance and protection they needed.

‘’This includes those who are displaced or at heightened risk of violence, trafficking, and exploitation.

“We urgently need resources to reach women and girls who are cut off, at risk and struggling to meet their most basic needs.

“A response that meets the needs of women and girls can help prevent further harm and ensure women and girls are able to recover with safety, dignity and agency,” it said.

(NAN)