Nepal Seeks Climate Justice After Devastating Floods Kill 1,367
UN says thousands remain missing as Nepal seeks support from the Loss and Damage Fund
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal, Lila Pieters Yahia on Wednesday briefed reporters by video link in New York that Nepal called for financial compensation after recent deadly floods underlined the need to help countries that contribute the least to climate change but are increasingly grappling with its most lethal consequences.
Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia reported that 1,367 people confirmed dead after the 26 August floods in Nepal.
Over 5,132 people are still missing, including 587 foreign nationals, as search and rescue missions continue, she added and 13,646 people have been rescued.
“The devastation Nepal has experienced is an extraordinary, stark illustration of the losses and damages that climate-vulnerable countries are increasingly facing,” Lila Pieters Yahia, told reporters.
She stressed that Nepal has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions and yet is experiencing profound human and economic consequences from a changing climate.
The floods triggered by a melting glacier, the 26 August floods affected about 84,270 Nepalis and resulted in vast destruction and damage to critical roads, schools, power grids and water systems across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading regions of northern Nepal, according to Government and UN officials, media reported.
Nepal has approached the UN Loss and Damage Fund, established in 2022 to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, she stated.
Lila Pieters Yahia said “Nepal calls for climate justice speaks to a principle which lies at the heart of the international climate framework,” noted that the country’s request is now being considered.
“Countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change need adequate and accessible support to respond to loss and damages they did little to cause.”
Ms. Yahia visited some of the worst affected areas, where floods had washed away whole settlements and entire riverbanks had shifted.
She met families continuing to search for relatives, adding that some had witnessed loved ones carried away by 20-metre-high waves.
UN agencies and partners reported that aid has been reached to those most in need, however access to the most vulnerable remains a challenge, she said.
World Food Programme used cargo drones to deliver food to communities cut off by the floods in the first emergency.
UN and the Government of Nepal launched a lifesaving flash appeal for $49.6 million on Friday to reach 84,000 people before the end of December, including with shelter, healthcare and cash support.
Ms. Yahia said as of Wednesday, only $22 million has been received.
She added that urgent needs include restoring water systems, mobile clinics for pregnant women and providing mental healthcare to serve those affected by the disaster.
