As rescue teams continue searching flood-ravaged areas, Nepal’s prime minister says displaced senior citizens will not be left alone and promises safe resettlement
By Ashish Kumar Mandal,Kathmandu, Nepal : Prime Minister Balen Shah has issued an emotional appeal to elderly citizens affected by the devastating floods along the Bhotekoshi River, assuring them that the state will remain beside them through rescue, relief, healthcare and eventual resettlement.
In a message shared on social media, Shah highlighted the rescue of 64-year-old Chandrika Shrestha from Betrawati in Bidur Municipality-10, Nuwakot, describing the operation as a source of hope for a country still grappling with the aftermath of the disaster. According to the prime minister, a joint team of the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police carried out the rescue as search and rescue operations continued in the affected areas.
But Shah’s message went beyond the details of a single rescue. He drew attention to the largely unseen human cost of the disaster, particularly for elderly people who have suddenly found themselves without homes, farmland, family members and the familiar surroundings in which they spent much of their lives.
The prime minister described how some elderly people were forced to flee toward higher ground while holding their grandchildren in their arms as floodwaters swept through their communities. Others living in elderly care facilities were also forced to evacuate as the disaster reached their shelters.
For many survivors, Shah said, the tragedy represents the loss of an entire way of life. Homes where families had lived for decades, fields cultivated through years of hard work, livestock and other possessions were swept away within moments. Some people may also have been forced to watch helplessly as children, grandchildren or spouses were carried away by the floodwaters.
The disaster has also severely affected elderly care infrastructure in Nuwakot. Shah said the building of the Devighat Senior Citizen Protection and Study Centre was damaged by the flooding. Seven elderly residents have reportedly been moved to Nepal Senior Care in Mhaipi, Kathmandu, while another 17 have been provided temporary shelter at the Krishnapranami Temple in Inarpati, Nuwakot.
The government has also arranged wheelchairs and walkers for those requiring mobility assistance. Shah said health teams are conducting regular medical check-ups and providing psychosocial counselling to help elderly survivors cope with the physical hardship and trauma caused by the disaster.
For the government, however, the immediate challenge is only the beginning. Shah has pledged to keep temporary accommodation as short as possible and to arrange safer, more permanent housing for those displaced by the floods.
“Do not consider yourselves alone,” Shah said in his message, emphasizing that the state and government would remain with the affected elderly population during what he described as one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
He also acknowledged the anger of families who have lost loved ones. Rather than dismissing their frustration, Shah said the anger of people who have lost their entire world in a single moment should be understood as an expression of profound grief. He warned against those who mock, insult or further distress victims during the crisis, saying the government would take a firm position against such conduct.
Meanwhile, security personnel continue to work in areas transformed into mud, debris and ruins by the floods. Shah praised members of the security forces for continuing search and rescue operations while putting their own lives at risk.
The prime minister also paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the disaster, describing elderly victims as pillars of their families and sources of knowledge, culture and experience.
The broader message from Shah is that Nepal’s flood response cannot end with evacuation and emergency relief. For elderly survivors in particular, rebuilding will require more than replacing damaged structures. It will mean restoring safe housing, healthcare, dignity and a sense of security after a disaster that has shattered the foundations of their lives.
As rescue teams continue their work, Shah has asked affected citizens to maintain faith in the state and government.
“You are the foundation of this country and our guides,” he said, appealing to elderly survivors to remain strong and continue to guide the nation even after losing so much to the flood.
The coming weeks will determine whether the government can turn those assurances into sustained relief and meaningful long-term rehabilitation for the communities devastated by the Bhotekoshi floods.
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