Nepal’s catastrophic floods “wake-up call” on climate action

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Short URL: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/mc/ntw6hx/

As death toll passes 1,000, Oxfam warns that this will not be the last climate-related disaster of its kind.

The catastrophic floods in Nepal are a stark warning of what a hotter world will mean for communities on the climate frontline and demonstrate why governments and donors must invest now in climate resilience, adaptation and disaster preparedness, rather than waiting for the next one to strike.

Nepal Photo Library

Buildings surrounded by muddy flood water. People are stood in the deep water looking at the buildings destroyed by the floods.
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Nepal contributes just 0.1% of global emissions, yet our communities are paying a devastating price as climate risks grow. Nepal’s devastating floods should be a wake-up call for governments and donors. We cannot keep waiting for disasters to happen. In a burning world, climate shocks will become more frequent here and communities need the resources to prepare, adapt and become more resilient before the next disaster strikes.”

Santosh Pandey, Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Management Lead for Oxfam in Nepal

Oxfam has launched an Emergency Appeal to fund the urgent work in Nepal. Find out more

Nepal Floods Appeal
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The lesson from Nepal is clear: resilience saves lives. If we only fund the response after a disaster, we will always be one step behind. Communities need sustained investment to prepare for the shocks we know are coming”

Santosh Pandey

Xinhua/Shutterstock

Buildings and trees surrounded by muddy flood water in Nuwakot District, Nepal after the huge flash flood.
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This will not be the last climate-related disaster of its kind. The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) was established precisely to support countries and communities facing the irreversible impacts of climate change, particularly where adaptation measures are no longer sufficient. This catastrophic event, driven by climate-induced glacial melt, demonstrates the growing reality of climate loss and damage and the urgent need for rapid, accessible financing”

Jo Trevor, Water Security Lead, Oxfam

Oxfam emergency response

Oxfam launched an emergency response a day after the floods struck. We are working with local authorities and partners in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading to reach some of the worst-affected communities.

We have deployed 200 hygiene kits and 1,000 water purification tablets to Rasuwa and distributed water, sanitation and hygiene and food assistance in other affected communities.

We are also preparing to scale up our response over the next six months, aiming to reach 2,000 households – around 10,000 people – with life-saving assistance including WASH, shelter, protection and cash support.

Press contact

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