Nepal's Shah Warns UN After 1,400 Deaths, Says Climate Aid Falls Short

3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Sep 25

At the U.N. General Assembly, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said Nepal’s August flood was a global climate warning, not a local tragedy, after a glacier collapse and flooding killed at least 1,400 people.
Scientists linked the disaster to climate-driven permafrost melt that destabilized the glacier, while Shah said Nepal produced less than 0.1% of the emissions behind the crisis and gets about 99% of its electricity from hydropower.
Shah said climate finance is too slow and bureaucratic for countries hit by disasters they did not cause, criticizing the loss-and-damage system and urging relief, reconstruction, responsibility and reparation.
Nepal says the flood caused more than $5 billion in losses—nearly 15% of GDP—while new U.S. aid of $31 million brings Washington’s total to $36 million, still under 1% of estimated needs.
The appeal casts Nepal’s flood as a preview for other vulnerable countries, with officials and climate advocates warning that accelerating glacier melt could threaten water supplies for 2 billion people across Asia.