Headline: Nepal: where REACT stands

On the morning of Wednesday 26 August, a glacial collapse sent a surge of water, sediment and boulders down the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river systems. Homes, roads and bridges were destroyed through Rasuwa and Nuwakot, and the impact has been felt across eight districts. Villages furthest up the valley remain cut off, and hundreds of families are still searching for someone.

The response is led by the Government of Nepal. The Nepali Army has deployed 2,000 personnel to land and aerial search and rescue operations in the flood-affected areas, within a wider mobilisation of more than 9,000 army, police and armed police. Twelve thematic coordination teams are running search and rescue, emergency health services, communications, power restoration, road clearance and information management. Neighbouring states are supporting, and road clearance is underway on several severed routes.

What REACT is doing
We are actively assessing the situation along the Nepal and Tibet border and staying in constant contact with partners across the humanitarian network, including organisations we have worked alongside in Nepal previously, to understand how the picture is developing and where assistance will be needed.

Today we issued an Expression of Interest to our Responders and are assembling an advance team, whilst running risk and mobilisation assessments so we can act rapidly.

What we are not doing is entering the search and rescue phase. REACT is not a search and rescue organisation, and this phase is best coordinated by the Nepali authorities and forces already leading it, who are mobilised at scale across the affected districts. 

We anticipate REACT will be most helpful as search and rescue ends and the wider humanitarian response begins. That means our Responders supporting with logistics, moving supplies the last stretch into settlements that vehicles cannot reach, gathering situational awareness alongside local organisations, and working in small self-sustaining teams.

We are watching this every minute, so if and when we are asked, we will be ready to move.

Why this keeps happening

As the climate continues to change, glacial collapse, debris flows and the flash floods that follow them are likely to become more frequent; underscoring the growing need for preparedness and locally led response efforts.

If you are searching for someone

The Government of Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an Emergency Control Room for foreign nationals affected by or missing following the floods. It can be reached on +977 974444 1227 or +977 974444 1228 by phone or WhatsApp, 7am to 10pm Nepal time, or by email at [email protected]. 

The Nepal Red Cross Society is providing Restoring Family Links services for separated families. 

British nationals can reach FCDO consular assistance on +44 (0)20 7008 5000, or the British Embassy in Kathmandu on +977 (0)1 4237100.

When reporting someone missing, give as much accurate detail as you can, and tell the authorities if that person is later found safe. The Ministry has asked everyone to rely on official sources and avoid sharing unverified information.

Support our response

Donations to REACT's Rapid Response Fund go towards getting our Responders on the ground in Nepal: https://react.giantgiving.com/campaign/donations-1ed04/

We want to be straight with you about what that means. If a deployment to Nepal proves impossible, or if it is not requested by the Nepali authorities, we will not hold your donation unspent. It will go to the next emergency we deploy to, wherever in the world we are needed most.

Thank you.