The disastrous flood of 2014 had displaced around 970 families of Surkhet district in Karnali province of Nepal. The natural disastrous left 24 dead and 91 still missing or declared dead that year. But for those, especially women, who survived the flood, the life in camps posing another constant threat: rampant sexual assaults. 

In camps, girls as young as three-faced sexual assaults. A three-year-old girl, who faced the assault two years back, still lives in constant horror in a Birendranagar camp. The government had set-up camps in Birendranagar district for affected families. 

One such camp, at the Women Training Centre of the district, houses 84 people from 15 families. Among them are 36 children below the age of 15. The families are now worried about the safety of their young ones. 

In another camp, a 16-year-old girl lives with his two-year-old son. The younger one was born when her mother was raped and impregnated at the age of 14. The perpetrator is now in jail. Families living there are now demanding resettlement from the government due to security concerns. 

“We have to go out for work, leaving our children behind at the camp. We are worried about their safety,” Pabitra Nepali, one of the displaced people living there, was quoted by The Kathmandu Post.  

Residents said, only a handful of cases get reported to the Police. Most cases settle within the community there. The situation leaves girls even more vulnerable in the absence of law enforcement checks.

The city municipality office claimed they have been conducting awareness campaigns, relief, and training campaigns to improve the atmosphere there. “We have collaborated with the UNDP to employ more than 300 individuals affected by disasters and the pandemic at a budget of around Rs 30 million,” claimed the city mayor.

Authorities also informed, with the help of various national and international organizations, they are working on resettlement of people in camps.