Many Nepalis swept away in the floods aren't officially dead, leaving families in limbo
Families of victims from a recent deadly flood in Nepal are struggling to access compensation and inheritance because the missing are not legally declared dead. Current laws require a 12-year waiting period, leaving survivors in a state of bureaucratic limbo.
Why it matters
This highlights a significant gap in disaster management and legal infrastructure, preventing families from recovering financially after catastrophic events.
Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, In Hindu tradition, when a body cannot be recovered, a symbolic effigy is made from sacred "kusha" grass to represent the dead
At the Pashupatinath temple, on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Madan Lal Lawat joined other families in honouring loved ones who were lost when a deadly flood tore through the China-Nepal border last month.
In Hindu tradition, when a body cannot be recovered, a symbolic effigy is made from sacred "kusha" grass to represent the dead, allowing relatives to perform last rites.
With more than 5,000 people still missing and the government ending rescue operations, this is the only way people like Lawat can honour the dead.
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