September 03, 2026
- A week on, search and
rescue operations and humanitarian aid efforts are a
desperate race against time - Almost 4,000 people are
missing, and some 50,000 people urgently need access to
clean water, sanitation and hygiene - Nepal produces
just 0.1% of global emissions, yet communities are paying a
devastating price as climate risks grow
The
catastrophic floods in Nepal are a stark warning of what a
hotter world will mean for communities on the climate
frontline and why governments and donors must invest now in
climate resilience, adaptation and disaster preparedness,
rather than waiting for the next disaster to strike, Oxfam
has warned.
A week after the devastating floods,
rescuers are still scrambling to reach people cut off by
destroyed roads, bridges and landslides. Oxfam and local
partners are racing to deliver life-saving assistance, but
the scale of the destruction is making access to some of the
worst-affected areas, particularly Rasuwa, increasingly
difficult.
“Nepal contributes just 0.1% of global
emissions, yet our communities are paying a devastating
price as climate risks grow,” said Santosh Pandey, Oxfam in
Nepal’s Humanitarian and Disaster Risk Management
Lead.
“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.”
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The Government of
Nepal estimates that 10,000 households – around 50,000
people – require immediate access to clean water, toilets
and hygiene, with thousands more in need of shelter and
food.
Oxfam launched an emergency response a day after
the floods struck. It is working with local authorities and
partners in Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading to reach some of the
worst-affected communities.
The major flash flood on
26 August was triggered by a massive glacier collapse and
ice-rock avalanche that blocked the Lhende Khola, 20km north
of the Rasuwagadhi checkpoint. At least 1,000 people have
been killed and 3,916 remain unaccounted for, while more
than 50,000 people have been displaced or temporarily moved
from their homes.
Nepal is highly exposed to floods,
landslides and earthquakes. Climate change is adding further
pressure through rapidly changing glaciers, snow and water
systems and increasingly unpredictable extreme weather. The
Himalayan region also faces growing risks from glacial
floods in the years ahead.
Oxfam said far more
investment is needed in climate adaptation, early warning
systems, disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure,
particularly in countries that have contributed little to
global emissions.
“The lesson from Nepal is clear:
resilience saves lives,” said Pandey. “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.”
“But for now our focus
must be on action – we are in a race against time to save
lives and support everyone affected.”
He added: “We
know that shelter, food and emergency hygiene kits are
desperately needed. We are doing everything possible to
reach the affected populations, but against such immense
need, our contribution feels overwhelmingly
small.”
Oxfam has 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.
It is also preparing to scale up its
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.
But Oxfam warns that emergency relief alone
will not protect Nepal from the next shock.
“Nepal
needs international solidarity now, but it also needs
investment for the future,” said Pandey. “Climate action
must become a priority, not an
afterthought.”
Notes:
- Oxfam has worked in
Nepal since the 1980s, alongside communities and local
partners to tackle inequality and deliver humanitarian and
development programmes. Its work is grounded in
strengthening civic space and supporting people to challenge
the injustices that keep them in poverty, led by a feminist
approach rooted in the Global South. Oxfam in Nepal works
across three connected areas: climate and water, gender
justice, and humanitarian response and disaster risk
management. - Oxfam is working closely with the
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority
(NDRRMA), the Social Welfare Council and District
Administration Offices to deliver relief materials to
affected
communities.
