KATHMANDU: United Nations experts have expressed grave concern regarding the forced eviction and displacement of several thousand residents from informal riverside settlements in Kathmandu, which commenced on April 25, 2026.

Special Rapporteurs Paula Gaviria Betancur, Koldo Casla, and Elena Carolina Díaz Galán warned that these actions, involving settlements in Thapathali, Manohara, Sinamangal, Balkhu, Bansighat, Balaju, Sankhamul, Anamanagar, and Kapan, risk violating international human rights law and Nepal’s own constitutional protections.

The experts highlighted that authorities reportedly issued only a 24-hour notice before beginning rapid demolitions, a timeframe that fails to meet international requirements for meaningful consultation and adequate preparation.

The human cost of the eviction drive has been devastating, with two residents suspected of taking their own lives out of desperation.

On April 24, an 18-year-old resident of the Manohara settlement died by suicide, followed on May 1 by a 61-year-old resident of the Balkhu squatter settlement whose body was recovered from the Bagmati River.

The experts emphasized that as a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Nepal is obligated to ensure adequate housing and protection against forced evictions.

They further noted that the current campaign appears to contravene a July 2024 Supreme Court ruling requiring housing to be provided prior to any riverside evictions, as well as constitutional mandates to provide land and rehabilitation to landless Dalits and marginalized groups.

Critiquing the use of substandard emergency shelters, the experts clarified that these coordinated public evictions require proper resettlement planning rather than emergency disaster responses.

They urged the Government of Nepal to immediately halt all evictions and engage in genuine dialogue with affected communities to explore all feasible alternatives, including in situ solutions.

The experts called for an independent and transparent investigation into the eviction process and the two fatalities, while demanding that authorities provide immediate protection, psychosocial support, and adequate compensation to the displaced families to ensure that no individual is left homeless by State action.