At the UN General Assembly, Nepal PM Balendra Shah urged grants, not loans, for recovery from a glacier-triggered flood that killed at least 1,450 people. He said reconstruction needs were estimated at about 10% of GDP; more than 6,000 remained missing.
A glacier collapsed near Nepal’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region in late August, triggering landslides and a flash flood. Search and recovery operations were still underway weeks later; Shah said many of the missing may never be found.
The World Bank had made up to $170 million in emergency financing available to help Nepal respond and begin recovery. Shah also urged Nepal, India and China to share satellite data, monitor glacial lakes, strengthen early-warning systems and coordinate cross-border disaster responses.
