Large swathes of southern Nepal were hit by floods on August 12 and 13, following a cloudburst. Fifteen districts in the lowlands have been affected, while landslides have been reported higher in the Himalayas. At least 90 people have been killed, 38 are still missing, and more than 2,000 buildings have collapsed.
The government claims to be rushing rescue and relief operations to the flooded areas, but local media reports indicate that victims have been left to deal with the disaster on their own. Munna Saraff, a photographer based in Birgunj in Parsa district, went to nearby Ramgaduwa to document a village hit by the flooded Sirsiya river, one of the many rivers in the transboundary Ganga basin.
A boy swims through a flooded street in Ramgaduwa. Photo credit: Munna SaraffA woman walks in front of her flooded home. Photo credit: Munna SaraffA man carries his goat to higher ground. Photo credit: Munna Saraff A woman contemplates her flooded home. Photo credit: Munna Saraff A shopkeeper bales out water from his home in an effort to save his stock. Photo credit: Munna Saraff Using his stick as a depth gauge, a man moves towards higher ground. Photo credit: Munna Saraff Much of Ramgaduwa is flooded. Photo credit: Munna Saraff Even brick and mortar houses stand isolated. Photo credit: Munna Saraff This house has become uninhabitable. Photo credit: Munna Saraff Homeless residents move into a neighbour’s home with whatever they can carry. Photo credit: Munna Saraff People flooded out of the Jyoti Nagar area eat at a relief camp in Birgunj. Photo credit: Munna Saraff Inside the relief camp, opened at a dharamshala (pilgrims’ inn) in Birgunj. Photo credit: Munna Saraff
