Nepal to get $20 million from climate fund after deadly August flood

KATHMANDU, Oct 23 - Nepal is set to receive $20 million in assistance from the United Nations' climate loss and damage fund following a devastating flood along its border with China’s Tibet region in August, according to the government. The catastrophic event, which occurred on August 26, resulted in around 1,500 deaths and left over 5,000 people unaccounted for.

The flood impacted approximately 60,000 individuals belonging to 15,000 families and inflicted losses estimated at $2.7 billion on vital infrastructure, including roads, bridges, schools, and 13 hydropower plants. Initial projections suggest that reconstruction costs could surpass $4.7 billion. While the UN climate aid represents less than 1% of what Nepal requires to cover the flood's expenses, it aims to address the severe damages caused by the climate-related disaster.

Nepal had requested this financial support via a letter to the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) in August, just a week after the flood struck. Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who addressed the United Nations for the first time in September, emphasized that this disaster serves as a warning to the world and attributed the flood to climate change, despite Nepal's minimal carbon emissions.