As rescuers still search for survivors a week after the disaster, Nepal is demanding climate compensation from the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
The demand follows the Aug 26 flash floods in the Bhotekoshi River basin, triggered by a massive rock and ice collapse near the Nepal-Tibet border. The official death toll has risen to 1,114, with nearly 4,000 people still missing, according to the authorities, as floodwaters destroyed homes, key bridges and critical hydropower infrastructure.
Nepal’s claim also comes ahead of the United Nations’ annual climate summit in November.
China, the United States and India have made “extremely large” contributions to climate change and left smaller nations “enduring the price of it”, Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told Kantipur TV.
“Nepal must hold its head high internationally and turn this into a matter of justice,” he said in the interview, which was broadcast earlier in the week. “We will raise this matter explicitly and forcefully on international platforms.”
In the interview, Mr Shisir said Nepal has sought urgent relief from the United Nations’ Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, set up to help vulnerable countries recover from climate-related disasters. According to local media, officials said in a letter to the fund that recovery costs far exceed domestic resources, and that waiting for its board to meet in December would be too late.
Meanwhile, 19 Singapore police and forensic officers left for Nepal on Sept 1 and 2 to support disaster relief efforts. Another 14 officers – including those specialising in disaster victim identification and aerial surveillance – are due to join them in the coming days, bringing the contingent to 33.
Singapore will also send humanitarian supplies and personnel to support Nepal’s ongoing relief efforts, including supplies from civilian sources and the Singapore Armed Forces.
The latest assistance comes on top of the government’s earlier contribution of US$100,000 (S$127,000) to the Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) public fundraising in support of relief efforts in Nepal. The SRC has raised around S$1 million to date, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Monday.
MFA has also sent a response team to Nepal to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans affected by the disaster. AGENCIES
