Clarifying reports regarding climate-related disaster claims following catastrophic flash floods in Nepal, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal emphasised that Kathmandu has not sought financial compensation from India.
Highlighting the shared ecological geography across the Himalayan region, the Foreign Minister urged collective preparedness over diplomatic friction. “We’ve been communicating as need arises and the government of India has fully supported our initiative. The death count from the catastrophic Rasuwa floods in Nepal has climbed to 1,259, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) as of 7 pm on Thursday.
“Neither I nor anyone in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Government of Nepal has claimed or asked for compensation from India or any other country, including China or the United States,” Khanal stated. “Our call has been for the global community to look at this disaster from the perspective of climate change and the impact it’s having in Nepal,” said Khanal. Asked about communication with the Indian government on additional areas where Nepal may require assistance, Khanal said New Delhi had been in contact with Kathmandu from the immediate aftermath of the disaster. “In this disaster context, right after the disaster, we began to receive communication from Indian officials and they have provided all kinds of support and they have said they are standing ready to provide any support that the government of Nepal needs,” he said. So in the future also, as new requirements come up, we communicate and they stand ready to provide support,” he said.
