Kathmandu, September 06 (H.S.): The Nepal government has, for the first time, sought emergency financial assistance from the Loss and Damage Fund to address the destruction caused by the devastating floods that recently hit the country. However, no decision has yet been taken on the amount of assistance Nepal will receive or when the funds will be made available.

According to officials, the amount sought under the fund’s “Rapid Response” facility will depend on the evidence and details of the losses submitted by Nepal, as well as a decision by the fund’s board. A sudden flood swept through the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river system via Lhende Khola after an outburst from a glacial lake on August 26, causing extensive loss of life and inflicting severe damage on infrastructure and the economy. Nepal subsequently sought assistance from the fund for immediate relief and restoration efforts.

Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle and Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment Geeta Chaudhary jointly sent a letter to the fund’s co-chairs, outlining Nepal’s urgent need for emergency financial assistance to address the damage caused by the floods. However, no formal response to the letter has been received from the fund so far.

Deepa Oli, Under Secretary at the Climate Change Management Division under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, said Nepal had not requested any specific amount.

“We have not sought assistance by specifying a particular amount. Although Nepal’s contribution to global carbon emissions is negligible, we have nevertheless suffered the consequences. The glacial flood in the Bhote Koshi caused by climate change has inflicted damage on us. We need emergency assistance, and this is the purpose for which the correspondence was sent,” she said.

Oli said that Nepal’s request for emergency assistance also represented a new case for the fund. According to her, Nepal is the first country to seek assistance under such emergency circumstances.

Nepal expects that it could receive financial assistance of up to approximately 30 billion Nepalese rupees from the fund.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar