Nepal PM Shah urges grant-based aid over loans for $4.7B flood recovery at UNGA
The Reuters segment features Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah's address to the 81st UN General Assembly on September 24, 2026. Shah described the catastrophic August 26 glacial collapse and resulting floods that devastated communities along the Trishuli River, killing over 1,450, leaving thousands missing, and destroying infrastructure, homes, schools, and hydropower projects. He called for the international community to recognize six principles — relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, responsibility, reparation, and resilience — and provide adequate grant-based support rather than additional loans for recovery. Sourcing draws directly from Shah's speech text, with Reuters providing context on the disaster's scale from Nepali government and UN assessments. The clip highlights Nepal's low emissions (under 0.1% of global GHGs) against its disproportionate burden, referencing the Loss and Damage Fund and Global Environment Facility as insufficient. No external guests; the throughline stresses that climate-driven disasters in poor nations require systemic change to avoid permanent development setbacks.
Source: Reuters
