Nepal has formally approached the UN-backed Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) for urgent financial support following devastating floods and other disasters. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal is seeking around $20 million in immediate assistance but warned that the country's rehabilitation and reconstruction costs could run into billions of dollars. The appeal comes as Nepal struggles to recover from widespread destruction caused by severe flooding, which damaged infrastructure, disrupted communities and created a massive rebuilding challenge.

Nepal’s catastrophic floods have killed at least 1,204 people, while more than 4,200 remain missing nearly a week after the disaster. Rescue teams are racing against time to reach people believed to be trapped inside hydropower tunnels, with around 900 workers still unaccounted for. Hopes of finding survivors are fading, but rescuers continue searching through tunnels, debris and isolated areas. Teams from Nepal, India, China and the United States are supporting the massive search-and-rescue operation.