KATHMANDU: The Australian Government has announced a $5 million humanitarian assistance package for communities affected by the catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border.
The Australian government said it was rapidly mobilizing consular and humanitarian support in response to the disaster, while confirming that at least 39 Australian nationals are among those reported missing.
Australian officials are working to establish the whereabouts and welfare of the missing Australians and provide assistance to those affected by the disaster.
“The extraordinary scale of this disaster and the remoteness of the affected region mean immense challenges lie ahead for the response and recovery,” the Australian Government said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is deploying additional personnel to support Australians affected by the disaster. Alongside staff already stationed at the Australian Embassy in Nepal, a member of the Crisis Response Team and a Regional Consular Officer have been deployed to Kathmandu. Further regional and crisis-response personnel are also being prepared for deployment.
The government said an initial team of three humanitarian response specialists would be sent to Nepal within the next 48 hours to support Australian personnel already working on the ground.
The specialists, drawn from the Australia Assists program, have expertise in humanitarian assessment, logistics, communications and emergency planning.
As part of the broader humanitarian response, Australia will provide $5 million to support urgent disaster relief, response and recovery efforts in Nepal. The funding will be delivered through established humanitarian partners to provide essential assistance, including food, emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation.
The Australian Government said the floods have devastated communities on both sides of the Nepal-China border, sweeping away settlements, damaging critical infrastructure and displacing thousands of people.
With roads and bridges destroyed, many affected communities remain isolated and difficult to access, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian assistance.
Of the $5 million assistance package, $2 million will be provided to the World Food Programme, which has already deployed food supplies and logistics support for Nepal’s emergency response.
Another $2 million will be provided to Australian non-governmental organizations through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership to support emergency shelter, hygiene kits, blankets, medical assistance and psychosocial support.
The remaining $1 million will be provided to the Emergency Action Alliance to support locally led recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.
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