US provides $3.6 million aid to flood-hit Nepal

The United States has provided humanitarian assistance worth more than USD 3.6 million to people affected by the devastating floods in Nepal, including emergency food support for up to 10,000 households, the US Embassy in Kathmandu said on Sunday.

The US Embassy said it was working with the Nepal government and humanitarian organisations to ensure that assistance reaches those affected by the devastating floods that struck the Himalayan nation on Wednesday, claiming hundreds of lives and leaving thousands missing.

“There is no higher priority for us than the safety of American citizens. Our embassies in Nepal and China are working closely to assist Americans and support disaster relief efforts,” the embassy said in a post on X.

“The United States is standing with the people of Nepal by providing more than USD 3.6 million worth of life-saving humanitarian assistance, including up to three months of emergency food assistance to up to 10,000 flood-affected households,” it said. The US Embassy on Thursday said it had begun delivering supplies requested by the Nepal government to flood-affected communities. US Chargé d’Affaires Scott Urbom had sent the first shipment of emergency supplies from the US to Nepal on August 28, according to the embassy.

Catholic Relief Services, working through its implementing partner Caritas Nepal, delivered more than 2.5 tonnes of food supplies, 500 blankets, 500 mosquito nets and 500 insulating foam sheets for temporary shelter flooring to two schools in Rasuwa, it said. The embassy said it was coordinating with the Nepal government, Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Nepal to prepare and deliver subsequent shipments based on the country’s needs. The US State Department had on August 26 announced an initial USD 500,000 assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services for emergency shelter, relief items and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to flood-affected communities.

The department had also said it was deploying a disaster response adviser to the region to support response efforts.

Meanwhile, the death toll from flash floods in central Nepal crossed 700 on Sunday, with nearly 2,500 people still missing, as rescuers continued to recover bodies and search for those unaccounted for. Bodies have been recovered from all eight affected districts as rescue teams race against time to trace missing people and rescue those stranded, officials said.

An ice-rock avalanche following a glacial collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border on Wednesday sent a torrent of water, mud and debris downstream, wiping out towns and villages, damaging roads and bridges and washing away hydropower infrastructure across central Nepal.