Nepal disaster relief fund receives over Rs 2 bn in 3 days

KATHMANDU: More than Rs 2.295 billion has been donated to Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund since massive flash floods wreaked havoc in the Himalayan nation.

The death toll from Wednesday's flash floods has surged to 626 in Nepal. It devastated towns and villages, washing away homes, vehicles, roads and bridges, and damaging hydropower projects.

While nearly 2,500 people have been evacuated, more than 2,400 still remain missing, with rescue teams continuing search and relief operations.

Following the flash floods, Nepal government declared the affected areas disaster zones, prompting various organisations and individuals to donate to the fund.

It received Rs 1.91 billion within 36 hours from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday midnight, while assistance worth Rs 385.5 million was donated on Friday alone, according to sources at the Prime Minister's Office.

With the latest contributions, the fund's balance has risen to Rs 4.09 billion from Rs 2.17 billion.

The government has designated the Ministry of Finance as the focal ministry for collecting contributions to the fund and coordinating assistance.

The Ministry of Finance said the deposits were made to accounts held at 10 different commercial banks.

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle has been personally accepting contributions of Rs 10 million or more from institutional donors, according to the minister's secretariat.

It added that individual donors can provide cash contributions by visiting the ministry in person.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah and members of his cabinet will also donate a month's salary to the disaster relief fund. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting on Friday.