Nepal flash floods highlight impact of climate change

Nepali residents in Dubai are sharing heart-wrenching stories of loved ones swept away in the catastrophic floods that have claimed thousands of lives and left numerous others missing. The Rasuwa river's torrential flow through towns and homes has left them buried under mud and ash, with bodies still to be recovered. Manoj Marahatta, a Nepali entrepreneur living in Dubai, was deeply saddened to learn that over 30 of his neighbours were among the missing after their pilgrimage bus became caught in the flood.

"Five people jumped out of the bus, but 32 people are still missing," he lamented, referring to his hometown of Gurkha, where a hospital, a bank, and numerous houses were destroyed in low-lying areas. "I know the bus driver and the other passengers; they're from my village. They left for a pilgrimage in the morning, right into the path of the flood.

No one is answering their calls, so everyone is in panic mode. This is the start of a holy festive season, and many people had set out on pilgrimages."

Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the situation as an "unimaginable and heartbreaking disaster," with over 900 bodies recovered and more than 4,200 people still unaccounted for. The UAE has pledged a $10 million humanitarian aid package to Nepal to assist with the flood relief efforts. Recently, the UAE sent an aid plane carrying 83 tonnes of food and shelter supplies to Nepal, in line with this humanitarian aid.

The Nepali community in Dubai has shown remarkable unity in the face of the disaster. They organised a cricket tournament and decided to donate the proceeds and cash prizes to the Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund, demonstrating their determination to support Nepal in its time of crisis. The Nepali embassy in Abu Dhabi has mobilised all resources for search, rescue, relief, and recovery operations, prioritising the search for missing individuals, providing urgent relief to survivors, and ensuring that affected Nepali citizens and foreigners receive the necessary assistance and support.

The government has urged the public to send funds to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to contribute to ongoing relief operations and long-term recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts.