“If they hadn’t called me, I would have died”: Nepal floods catastrophic for people with disabilities

Media-release | Published: September 1, 2026

Bhawana, a mother with vision and hearing impairments, survived the Nepal floods only because her husband and neighbours called out for her to run. CBM Australia says her experience shows why people with disabilities must be prioritised in emergency response.

For Bhawana, 29, her husband Raju and their children in Nuwakot, 60 kilometres west of Kathmandu, the catastrophe came without warning. She was washing clothes on the riverbank when her husband and neighbours shouted for her to run. 

“I came to know about the flood when my husband and neighbours called me to run,” Bhawana said. “After that, I couldn’t remember what happened. I was in shock and worried about my two daughters.” 

Bhawana has limited vision in her left eye and a hearing impairment. Her two daughters also have issues with their vision. The flood seriously damaged the family’s small tin-roofed home, swept away their animals and belongings and left them sheltering in a temporary holding centre at a local school. 

“It is still a shock when I remember what happened,” Bhawana said. “The flood took everything. I feel lucky. If my husband and the neighbours hadn’t called me, I would have died on the riverbank. I thank God that I am alive.” 

CBM Australia, a leading disability-inclusive development organisation, says Bhawana’s story reflects the heightened risk facing people with disabilities after devastating flash floods and landslides along the Nepal–Tibet border.

Key statistics

• More than 900 people have died and thousands remain missing after the floods and landslides. 
• People with disabilities are four times more likely to die in disasters.
• Around a quarter of Nepalis live below the poverty line.
• At this critical stage, disability-disaggregated data remains limited. Without it, responders cannot fully identify people with disabilities, understand what support they require or plan assistance that reaches them. 

Jane Edge, Chief Executive of CBM Australia, said:

“This disaster is catastrophic for people with disabilities, who are too often the last to be reached and the first to be forgotten in an emergency. Children and adults who are deaf can’t hear warnings. People who are blind or have physical disabilities struggle to reach safety. People with intellectual disabilities may be frightened, traumatised or separated from their families. We cannot let them be left behind.” 

CBM’s response

CBM is working with the Association of International NGOs on an urgent Rapid Needs Assessment that includes people with disabilities, and with local partners, including Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and women-led Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, to address critical gaps in the response.

• Providing assistive devices and emergency rehabilitation equipment, including spinal collars, knee supports, lumbar belts, arm slings, ankle supports and crutches.
• Supporting people in relief centres and affected communities with psychological first aid, counselling and community-based support. 
• Advocating for accessible information, facilities and services, and for people with disabilities to take part in decisions that affect them. 

This support will be critical now and in the months ahead as people recover. CBM has worked in Nepal since 1982 alongside partners working to ensure people with disabilities are included in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. 

CBM Australia is part of the Emergency Action Alliance. To donate in support of people affected by the floods in Nepal, especially people with disabilities, visit cbm.org.au or call 1800 678 069. 

For media enquiries, contact media@cbm.org.au

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