© VPP/Sh. Shrestha Flood victims in Nepal receive food aid. Nepal hit by deadly floods calls for climate justice Climate and Environment
Nepal has requested financial compensation to compensate for damages sustained due to recent devastating floods. Countries that have had the least to do with climate change are increasingly facing its deadliest consequences. This was stated on Wednesday by UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal Leela Peters Yahia.
“The devastation experienced by Nepal is an exceptionally stark illustration of the loss and damage that countries increasingly vulnerable to climate change are facing,” she said, speaking via video link from Kathmandu to reporters at UN headquarters in New York.
Nepal is responsible for very little contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, she said, but is facing serious humanitarian and economic impact of the climate crisis.
Floods that began on August 26 as a result of the melting glacier affected about 84,270 people in the country, and also led to widespread destruction and damage to roads, schools, power facilities and water supply systems in northern Nepal.
Compensation for losses and damage
The country has turned to the UN Loss and Damage Fund, established in 2022 to help developing countries suffering from the effects of climate change. This request is currently being reviewed.
“Nepal’s calls for climate justice reflect a principle at the heart of the international climate system,” the UN spokeswoman said.
“Countries particularly vulnerable to climate change need adequate and accessible support to address losses and damage that they had little to do with causing,” she added.
Helping those in need
Over the weekend, Lila Peters Yahia visited some of the hardest hit areas, where floods have washed away entire communities and altered river courses.
She met with families who continue to search for relatives. She said some had seen their loved ones swept away by waves as high as 20 meters.
UN agencies and partners are providing aid to those affected, but access to the most vulnerable remains limited.
The UN and Nepal government last Friday called for $49.6 million to provide support, including housing, medical assistance and cash, 84 thousand people through the end of December.
As of Wednesday, only $22 million had been received, Peters Yahia said. Immediate needs include restoring water supplies, deploying mobile clinics, and providing psychological support to disaster victims.