Nepal Flood Relief Goes Digital As QR Code Donations Push Fund Past NPR 10 Billion

Nepal's government disaster relief fund has surpassed NPR 10 billion in donations following the Bhotekoshi floods, largely due to a digital shift in how citizens, businesses and overseas contributors can support the cause. The Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund has received over NPR 10 billion by the 11th day post-floods, according to The Kathmandu Post.

The change in donation methods was particularly significant for musician Bobby Lama, who switched from carrying cash to using mobile banking to scan a QR code for a quicker and more convenient donation process, as reported by The Kathmandu Post.

This digital transformation allows for direct person-to-government transactions on a large scale, with schoolchildren and global tech companies contributing. Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle highlighted that technology has made relief fundraising more accessible, particularly for overseas donors who can now make direct payments using Visa and Mastercard, eliminating the need for bank visits and international transfers.

Data from the Finance Ministry, digital payment company Fonepay, and Nepal Clearing House Ltd (NCHL) show that electronic payments are now the leading source of disaster donations. Out of 889,145 transactions processed through Fonepay, 815,219 were domestic QR payments, totaling NPR 2.095 billion. NCHL recorded 246,614 transactions, with 112,932 being domestic QR payments generating NPR 390.5 million.

International transactions, including Visa, Mastercard, UPI, and Alipay, contributed more than NPR 1.4 billion, with UPI alone accounting for NPR 4.854 crore.