Nepal flash floods: How you can help
On August 26, a catastrophic flash flood swept through northern Nepal. The powerful surge of water, ice, mud, and debris rushed through narrow mountain valleys—destroying entire communities and leaving more than 900 people dead and thousands missing.
“People ran from a wall of water and debris,” said Suraj Sigdel, Mercy Corps Country Director for Nepal. “Today, survivors are confronting the enormity of what it took: entire settlements destroyed, roads and bridges gone, hundreds of people still missing, and bodies being recovered many kilometers downstream.”
“Families spent the night on exposed hillsides or in makeshift shelters, unable to reach loved ones or return home. Accessing these areas remains extremely difficult and, in some cases, is impossible.”
In the wake of the flood disaster, Mercy Corps teams have reached affected areas to start delivering critical emergency aid.
What do communities in Nepal need in the wake of the flood disaster?
Survivors are saying their most urgent needs include food, clothing, and basic hygiene supplies. Some local authorities have lost their own offices and are trying to coordinate a massive humanitarian response with severely limited resources.
In Bidur, Mercy Corps staff report widespread disruption to electricity and running water, with food increasingly difficult to find in local markets. Routes that were once accessible may be blocked, delaying aid for communities who are already in dire need of support.
Nepal is still in the middle of monsoon season. More rainfall could change conditions overnight. Local governments are monitoring upstream lakes, river blockages, and unstable slopes that could trigger another flood, landslides, or an avalanche of debris.
How is Mercy Corps helping?
On September 1, Mercy Corps is delivering food kits to 300 families, for approximately 1,500 people. The kits include stapes like rice, oil, noodles, and other essential and nutritious food items. We are also providing hygiene kits for adolescents and baby care kits—containing items like clothing, blankets, soap, and diapers—for an additional 300 people.
Our staff are in hard-hit Nuwakot district, visiting emergency evacuation shelters and speaking directly with survivors to assess continuing urgent needs. Our first distributions are only the beginning. Families will need sustained support to rebuild homes, restore livelihoods, and recover essential services.
Available scientific analysis points to the collapse of glacier ice and rock which triggered the flood disaster. The Himalayas are warming, glaciers and frozen ground are changing and becoming less stable. Countries like Nepal—which have contributed very little to global emissions but face some of the gravest climate impacts—receive far too little financing and support to prepare, adapt and build resilience.
We have worked in Nepal since 2005, including helping communities prepare for disasters and adapt to climate risks. Adaptation alone cannot prevent every disaster or eliminate the threat from sudden, catastrophic events like this one. But it can give people more time to act, reduce damage and protect lives and livelihoods.
How you can help
Rush aid to families affected by the devastating flood in Nepal—and support families as they recover and help communities around the world create pathways out of crisis.
