Nepal accepts international aid for flash flood recovery

The government of Nepal has reversed its previous decision to decline international aid following devastating flash floods. Initially, authorities claimed domestic rescue forces were sufficient to manage search and recovery operations. However, following diplomatic pressure from nations seeking assistance for their missing citizens, the government has agreed to accept limited specialized foreign expertise.

Foreign assistance will focus on technical areas where local expertise is lacking, including tunnel rescue operations, restoring transportation and communications in areas with destroyed infrastructure, and forensic tasks such as DNA testing and body identification.

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal stated that while Nepal’s rescue teams are performing well in general search and rescue efforts, the country requires specialized technical services to handle specific challenges. The floods have caused significant destruction along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers.