UN reports intensified relief operations in Nepal after deadly flash floods
More than 1,100 people have died and thousands remain missing after flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border, prompting expanded rescue and humanitarian efforts.
The United Nations said relief and recovery work in Nepal has been scaled up following flash floods that struck the Nepal-Tibet border last week. The floods, thought to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, killed at least 1,114 people in Nepal and left nearly 4,000 missing, according to the country's disaster agency. Chinese state media reported 21 deaths and over 540 missing on the Tibetan side.
Rescue teams have saved about 12,000 people, but hundreds of workers may still be trapped in hydropower tunnels. International volunteers, including Chinese and Indian experts, are helping to construct temporary bridges, while drones are being used to locate survivors in hard-to-reach areas.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs highlighted access challenges, noting that more than 40 bridges have been destroyed. Army helicopters are delivering supplies to remote villages, which continue to face shortages of fuel and electricity.
In Nepal, roughly 3,500 people have been displaced across 27 sites, many of which are schools, disrupting education. Overcrowded shelters, contaminated water and damaged health facilities raise concerns about disease outbreaks during the monsoon season.
"The priority is delivering aid, recovering loved ones, tracing missing relatives and reunifying separated children," a UN secretary-general spokesman said.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah told parliament that the disaster underscored the growing climate-related risks in the Himalayas and called for stronger international support. He noted that early-warning systems could have reduced the loss of life, citing a new report that identified signs of glacier instability in the days before the collapse.
Chinese rescue teams continue to search for missing persons on the Tibetan side, and have reopened the Gyirong border crossing to facilitate the search. Information from the region remains limited, as foreign journalists require permission to enter.