UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | The confirmed death toll from Nepal's catastrophic flooding has risen to 903, with more than 4,200 people still missing, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday, as rescue crews and humanitarian workers continue to contend with blocked highways in their effort to reach the hardest-hit areas.

Triggered by a glacier collapse and landslide on Nepal's border with China last Wednesday, the disaster has become the country's deadliest natural event since the April 2015 earthquake, which killed approximately 9,000 people. As search and rescue operations continue, UN agencies have begun assessing longer-term needs, including protection needs for more than 22,000 children, according to Dujarric.

Access remains the biggest obstacle

According to the UN's emergency relief agency, OCHA, reaching affected communities remains the single greatest challenge facing the response. Roads are passable only as far as Nuwakot, with some sections of highway connecting Kathmandu to the worst-affected areas still completely blocked, though power has been restored in some locations.

Dujarric said Nepal's government has deployed more than 20,000 search and rescue personnel and declared a flood emergency in 15 municipalities. More than 10,000 people have been rescued so far, including 252 foreign nationals.

Humanitarian needs escalate

World Health Organization spokesperson Tarik Jašarević warned that overcrowding and disruptions to water, sanitation and health services are increasing the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.

Recent OCHA assessments point to a range of urgent humanitarian needs, including an estimated 2,600 children under five expected to require treatment for severe acute malnutrition, and approximately 10,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women in need of nutritional support. OCHA also reported that 19 schools have been damaged, nine of which were completely destroyed, while eight are currently being used to shelter displaced families. More than 10,000 school-age children are reported to need psychosocial support.

Dujarric said preliminary reports indicate that 107 children may have been separated from their parents or caregivers, prompting first responders to prioritize family tracing and reunification efforts.

Disaster still unfolding

Kamal Kishore, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, described the glacier collapse as an unprecedented event and cautioned last week that the full extent of the damage was still being assessed. The disaster has also affected the Tibetan side of the border, where Chinese authorities have reported at least 16 deaths and 546 people still missing.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the disaster underscores the fragility of mountain environments, noting that scientists and local communities have long warned of climate-related risks in the region. He linked the increasing frequency and severity of such disasters to global warming driven by fossil fuel consumption, adding that vulnerable communities are often affected most severely.

UN response

Several UN agencies have mobilized in response to the disaster. The World Food Programme has dispatched nearly 80 metric tonnes of food, reaching about 9,200 people with assistance expected to last 15 days.

UNICEF has moved therapeutic food supplies for roughly 500 severely malnourished children and deployed 15 emergency medical teams. UN humanitarian partners have also established a coordination hub in Nuwakot to strengthen planning and information sharing among organizations involved in the disaster response.