Nepal PM Balen Shah Thanks India, China, US for Aid After Deadly Flash Floods

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah has thanked India, China, the United States and other countries for their assistance following the devastating flash floods that struck the Himalayan nation on August 26, saying the international support has been crucial to ongoing rescue and relief operations.

Addressing Parliament, Shah said 11,993 people had so far been rescued, while authorities remained unable to establish contact with at least 3,916 people.

“So far, 11,993 people have been rescued. We have not been able to establish contact with at least 3,916 people,” Shah said, adding that a group of ministers travelled to the affected areas the following day to oversee relief efforts.

Shah specifically acknowledged the support extended by India and China, including emergency assistance, technical teams and relief supplies. He also thanked the United States, banks and other organisations that have contributed to the relief operations.

India Provides Specialised Rescue Assistance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier spoken with Shah following the deadly floods and assured him of “all possible humanitarian assistance” from India.

India subsequently offered specialised search-and-rescue support, with Indian teams assisting in operations around hydropower tunnels and forensic work linked to the large number of deaths and missing people. India was also the first country to physically deliver relief supplies to Nepal following the disaster, according to an earlier Hindustan Times report.

China has continued rescue and recovery operations on its side of the border. Beijing has also reopened the damaged G216 highway leading to the Gyirong border crossing, allowing heavy machinery, search teams and specialist equipment to reach areas that had previously been accessible only through difficult mountain routes.

The floods caused widespread destruction across parts of Nepal and China’s Tibet region, damaging roads, bridges, settlements and hydropower infrastructure.

Nepal Seeks Climate Compensation

Shah’s remarks come days after Nepal’s Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal called for a shift from conventional humanitarian aid towards “climate compensation” from major greenhouse gas emitters, including India, China and the United States.

Khanal argued that Nepal contributes negligibly to global greenhouse gas emissions but is bearing severe consequences from rapid changes in the Himalayan environment.

Meanwhile, the disaster’s toll has continued to rise. China’s state media reported on Wednesday that at least 21 people had been confirmed dead in Tibet, while 541 remained missing.

In neighbouring Nepal, at least 1,114 people have been confirmed dead and nearly 4,000 remain missing, a week after a glacier collapse in the Himalayas triggered a massive deluge that devastated large parts of the mountainous country.