Dubai and Sharjah residents with family ties to Nepal are anxiously following developments after devastating floods and landslides swept through parts of the country, leaving communities displaced and hundreds of people missing.
For many Nepalese expatriates living in the UAE, the disaster has turned into a deeply personal ordeal. Families are struggling with disrupted communication, blocked roads and uncertainty over the fate of relatives in affected areas.
UAE residents struggle to contact families
Dubai resident Poornima said she spent the night unable to sleep after learning that members of her family had been evacuated from their hometown in Chitwan.
Her relatives, including her brother, children and grandchildren, were forced to leave their homes as the flooding intensified. Her brother later became involved in relief efforts, but poor communication networks made it difficult for the family to remain in regular contact.
She said the scale of destruction seen in videos and news reports was unlike anything she had witnessed before. Powerful floodwaters have reportedly damaged buildings, bridges and other infrastructure, leaving many communities isolated.
“I am just praying for the safety of my country and my people right now,” she said.
Flash floods and landslides cause widespread devastation
The disaster struck Nepal and neighbouring areas of Tibet after powerful floods and landslides sent water and debris through communities near the border.
The Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems were among the areas affected, with floodwaters sweeping through settlements and damaging critical infrastructure. Rescue teams have been deployed as authorities work to locate large numbers of missing people.
The exact cause of the disaster was still being investigated, although reports indicated that a glacial collapse may have contributed to the catastrophic flooding.
The scale of the destruction has shocked Nepalese citizens in the UAE, many of whom have spent hours contacting relatives and monitoring developments online.
Nepalese community in the UAE united in grief
Dubai resident Lakshmi Thapa said members of the Nepalese community have been continuously checking on friends and family members affected by the disaster.
She said several people had been forced to make difficult decisions while evacuating from danger zones, particularly where elderly and vulnerable family members were involved.
The tragedy has also strengthened the sense of community among Nepalese residents across the UAE, with expatriates calling one another to share information and check whether loved ones are safe.
For many, social media videos have offered the first glimpse of the devastation, showing roads, bridges and buildings damaged or destroyed by the force of the floodwaters.
Travel plans disrupted as roads remain blocked
The flooding has also created major travel difficulties for people attempting to move through Nepal.
Kalpana Khati, a Sharjah resident, said her husband was stranded in Nepal after travelling there for documentation work. He had originally planned to return to the UAE through Kathmandu, but blocked roads forced him to change his route.
Instead of travelling to the Nepalese capital, he was forced to make new arrangements and travel by road towards Delhi before attempting to return to Dubai.
The disruption highlights the wider impact of the disaster, which has affected not only communities directly in the flood zone but also travellers and families across the country.
Anxiety grows as rescue operations continue
Another UAE-based Nepalese expatriate, Humkala Neupane, said the disaster was particularly shocking because the affected area was along a route she had regularly travelled through when visiting Nepal.
While her own relatives were located away from the hardest-hit areas, she said the images of the destruction were deeply distressing.
Nepal has experienced floods and landslides before, but many expatriates said the scale of the latest disaster appeared unprecedented.
As rescue teams continue searching for survivors and clearing damaged areas, Nepalese families in the UAE remain glued to their phones, waiting for updates and hoping to reconnect with loved ones.
For thousands of expatriates, the disaster unfolding hundreds of kilometres away has brought fear, uncertainty and heartbreak into their daily lives.
The UAE’s Nepalese community is now watching closely as rescue and recovery operations continue, while families pray for the safety of those still missing.
