UNICEF said in a press release published on 15 September 2026 that thousands of children affected by recent floods in Nepal need urgent mental health and psychosocial support to recover from the distress and trauma caused by the disaster. It estimated that 17,000 children require such support, while 541 unaccompanied and separated children remain at heightened risk and in need of protection services.

The agency said many children witnessed the loss of loved ones and the destruction of homes and schools, were displaced from their communities, or face uncertainty over missing family members. Alice Akunga, UNICEF Representative to Nepal, said the floods struck during the school day and that many children are now struggling with fear, anxiety and grief. Shitanshu Dhakal, a medical officer at Trishuli Hospital in Nuwakot, said children must be at the centre of the mental health response.

UNICEF said it is working with government authorities and partners on family tracing, reunification and psychosocial support. It reported that 18 unaccompanied and separated children have been reunified with their families, with alternative family-based care being arranged for children who have lost both parents. It added that community-based protection monitoring teams have been set up along key transit and displacement routes, and that 18 Child-Friendly Spaces, including 13 supported by UNICEF, are providing safe environments for children.