Support for Hospitality Workers Affected by the Nepal Flash Floods: Mental Health Resources and How to Help
What happened in Nepal
On 26 August 2026, severe flash floods struck the Bhote Koshi River area of Nepal, resulting in significant loss of life, widespread displacement, and extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges, and critical infrastructure. The catastrophic debris flow is believed to have been triggered by rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Langtang National Park, near the Nepal-China border, with flooding travelling nearly 100 kilometres downstream and devastating communities along its path.
Among those missing are a significant number of foreign nationals, including 33 UK nationals, with trekking guides and transportation workers among those unaccounted for. The worst-hit settlements include Timure and Syaphrubesi, areas that support much of the trade and tourism between Nepal and China. The connection between these communities and the hospitality and tourism industries runs deep, and the impact of this disaster is being felt by people across our sector.
If you, a member of your team, or someone you know has been affected, whether through bereavement, the loss of a loved one who was travelling, or the traumatic experience of witnessing or surviving the floods, we want to make sure you know that support exists.
Source: https://mofa.gov.np/content/1864/latest-updates-on-flash-floods--28-august/
Mental health and trauma support for hospitality workers
ASSIST Trauma Care
One of the most important resources we want to signpost right now is ASSIST Trauma Care — a non-profit organisation that provides specialist therapy for people who have experienced traumatic bereavement and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
For those in hospitality who may not have access to private therapy, ASSIST operates on a sliding scale of fees, meaning they will work with you to provide support at an accessible price point. For employers: there is also scope to cover the cost of assessments and sessions for your team members if you are in a position to do so — something we would strongly encourage where possible.
ASSIST is based in Warwickshire but has specialist Outreach Therapists located across England and Wales, so support can be accessible beyond the immediate area.
📧 Email:admin@assisttraumacare.org.uk
📞 Phone: 01788 551919
If you are experiencing symptoms of grief, trauma, or PTSD following the Nepal floods, or supporting a colleague who is, please do reach out to them
How to help those on the ground
World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen and their restaurant partners are actively serving meals in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, the hardest-hit areas downstream from the Nepal-China border. As an organisation built around food and the people who make it, WCK's response feels particularly close to home for our community.
Getting aid to those communities has been extraordinarily difficult — a truckload of kitchen supplies took five hours to travel just seven miles due to the scale of infrastructure destruction. Your donations go directly towards funding those community kitchens and keeping meals reaching the families who need them most.
👉 Donate to World Central Kitchen's Nepal response:
wck.org/relief/flash-flooding-nepal
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross is another trusted way to direct support right now. Working alongside Nepal Red Cross teams already deployed in the affected areas, they are supporting search and rescue efforts and distributing emergency supplies including first aid kits, blankets, and shelter materials to devastated communities.
Their Disaster Fund is specifically designed for situations like this — and donations made now will go directly towards the ongoing relief effort in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, as well as supporting the longer-term recovery of communities that have lost everything.
👉 Donate via the British Red Cross:
redcross.org.uk/stories/disasters-and-emergencies/world/nepal-flash-floods-2026
A note from Kelly's Cause
The hospitality sector is a global community. The people affected by this disaster are part of a world that our industry knows and depends on. If this disaster has affected you or your team in any way, don't sit with it alone.
Our resources page is always available at kellyscause.com/resources, and if you'd like to talk to someone in a crisis right now, Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123.