Nepal seeks grants, not loans, for flood recovery after deadly glacier disaster

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.

IMF review calls for ‘fewer but deeper’ reforms in design of loan programs

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.

The collapse ​of a glacier ​near the ⁠border between Nepal and China’s Tibet Autonomous Region in late August triggered landslides and a flash flood ​that tore through valleys downstream. Weeks later, search ​and recovery ⁠operations were still under way, with more than 6,000 people remaining missing in the area. Shah said many of them may never be found.

The ⁠World ​Bank earlier this week made available up ​to $170 million in emergency financing to help Nepal respond to the disaster and begin recovery ​efforts.