Nepal seeks grants, not loans, for flood recovery efforts

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah called for grant-based international support at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to help the Himalayan nation recover from the glacier flood that killed at least 1,450 people.



Shah said in New York that Nepal's recovery and reconstruction needs were estimated at about 10% of gross domestic product following the flood that struck mountain communities four weeks ago, and argued that vulnerable countries should not be forced to take on additional debt to rebuild from catastrophic climate events.



"When a climate-driven disaster destroys infrastructure of a poor country, the answer cannot simply be another mega loan or a patchwork of small grants," Shah said. "We need adequate grant-based support from the world."



He urged closer cooperation between Nepal, India and China on climate resilience, calling for an urgent Himalayan mechanism to share satellite data, monitor glacial lakes, strengthen early-warning systems and coordinate disaster responses across borders.



The Nepalese leader said the flood, which he described as a warning of the growing risks posed by climate change, had swept away roads, bridges, schools, homes and livelihoods, interrupting Nepal's development progress.