CATHMANDU, August 28 — A sudden flash flood roared through Nepal’s Trishuli and Bhote Koshi river valleys on August 26, after a glacial collapse in Langtang National Park unleashed a surge that traveled more than 60 miles downstream, burying homes and sweeping away bridges. The disaster killed more than 580 people and left over 1,900 missing, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and Nepal’s disaster response agencies.
Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, issued a statement on August 27 urging the international community to mobilize greater humanitarian assistance for Nepal’s vulnerable families and communities. He highlighted that Catholic Relief Services, the USCCB’s international humanitarian arm, is coordinating with Caritas Nepal and local partners to assess urgent needs and provide emergency shelter, food, water and blankets.
Caritas emergency aid coordinator Raju Pradhan told German Catholic news outlet KNA that the destruction “is almost beyond comprehension,” noting that in one town alone, 400 homes were destroyed, and warning that secondary flooding remains a threat as rain continues. Pradhan also expressed frustration that early disaster alerts were issued “too late” for those near the flood’s source, though they may have saved lives further downstream.
Donations to CRS’s emergency relief fund are being accepted through online platforms, phone and mail, and the bishop expressed gratitude for U.S. government support and the deployment of State Department personnel to monitor the situation. Bishop Zaidan concluded his statement by invoking Mary’s Immaculate Heart to bring comfort and called for global solidarity as one family to address the Nepalese people’s urgent needs. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors as the region braces for further flooding, and attention now turns to how quickly international aid can be scaled to meet the growing humanitarian crisis.
