Flood-ravaged Nepal calls for climate justice

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Nepal’s call for financial compensation following recent deadly floods underlines the need to help countries that contribute the least to climate change – but are increasingly grappling with its most lethal consequences, the top UN official in the country said.

 “The devastation Nepal has experienced is an extraordinary, stark illustration of the losses and damages that climate-vulnerable countries are increasingly facing,” UN Resident Coordinator for Nepal, Lila Pieters Yahia, told reporters by video link at UN Headquarters.

Nepal has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions and yet is experiencing profound human and economic consequences from a changing climate, she explained from Kathmandu.

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.

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.

“Nepal’s calls for climate justice speaks to a principle which lies at the heart of the international climate framework,” she said, noting 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.”

At the same time, UN agencies and partners reported that aid has been reaching those most in need, however access to the most vulnerable remains a challenge, she said.

In a first during an emergency operation in Nepal, the World Food Programme (WFP) used cargo drones to deliver food to communities cut off by the floods.

To meet those needs, the UN and the Government of Nepal launched a lifesaving flash appeal for $49.6 million to reach 84,000 people before the end of December, including with shelter, healthcare and cash support.

Urgent needs include restoring water systems, adding mobile clinics for pregnant women and providing mental healthcare to serve those affected by the disaster, she added.

Earlier , the UN and its humanitarian partners launched a $49.6 million flash appeal to deliver emergency assistance to more than 84,000 people affected by last week’s catastrophic floods in Nepal.

On 26 August, a glacier on the border between Nepal and the Tibet autonomous region of China collapsed, triggering floods that have now claimed more than 1400 lives and left thousands missing. The UN’s local humanitarian team estimate that 84,270 Nepalis – or 19,284 households – were affected by the floods.

Across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading regions of northern Nepal, critical infrastructure such as roads, schools, power grids and water systems have been damaged or destroyed, while many survivors have lost their homes and family members.

Working with Nepali emergency operations, the UN aims to help families buy essential goods, revitalise local economies, restore power, prevent disease outbreaks and help prepare residents for the upcoming winter.

Humanitarian workers will deliver direct cash assistance, cold-weather shelter materials, portable solar power units, water purification systems and food aid, while emergency mobile clinics will provide medical treatment and nutritional support.

In a country where agriculture makes up 24 per cent of gross domestic product, half of which comes from livestock, according to the World Bank, aid teams will even help locals keep surviving animals alive and safe.

11 September 2026

Image : UNICEF staff walk through the devastated streets of a town in Nepal destroyed by floods.