Nepal's rapper-turned-PM criticised for disaster response

Balendra Shah, a 36-year-old former rapper who became Nepal's youngest prime minister just six months ago, is facing severe criticism over the country's disastrous response to a catastrophic flood. The disaster has killed at least 1,410 people and left 5,651 others missing across Nepal and Tibet. Shah, popularly known as Balen, is the world's youngest national leader and was elected on a wave of support from the younger generation.

His government's handling of the crisis has been met with skepticism and anger, as many have expressed disappointment in the lack of timely assistance. Shah's family members are among those still missing, and he has publicly criticized the government's response, stating that they couldn't receive any help during the crisis. Despite his lack of experience in disaster recovery, Shah has expressed regret for voting for his own party after witnessing the government's slow response.

The Nepal government has been criticized for initially rejecting offers of assistance from seven countries before eventually accepting them. Some experts argue that better coordination between local and central governments, as well as more reliance on experienced community-based groups, could have improved the response. Despite the criticism, Shah's communication efforts have been praised, as he has relied on social media to keep his followers informed and engaged.

Donations to his disaster relief fund have exceeded 13 billion rupees ($123 million), with many people trusting his government's ability to handle the crisis.