Nepal’s Rebuilding Bill: Billions Needed After Deadly Floods

Kathmandu, Nepal — As rescue crews clear debris from catastrophic flash floods, Nepali authorities have announced that the nation will require billions of dollars in international funding to rebuild its shattered infrastructure and communities. The announcement comes as the South Asian nation faces the daunting task of recovery. BBC South Asia correspondent Azadeh Moshiri is on the ground in Nepal, where the scale of the destruction is becoming clearer. Officials are now shifting their focus from emergency rescue to long-term reconstruction, but they warn that the financial burden is immense. The floods, which swept through low-lying areas and mountain valleys, have destroyed homes, washed away roads, and crippled power grids. With the immediate rescue phase winding down, the government is now assessing the full extent of the damage to calculate a precise funding request. However, preliminary estimates indicate that the recovery effort will require billions, a sum that far exceeds the nation's current budget. Without significant foreign aid, Nepal risks a prolonged humanitarian crisis and a stalled economic recovery. The government is appealing to international donors and development banks to step forward, stressing that the rebuilding process is not just about restoring what was lost, but about constructing more resilient infrastructure to withstand future climate shocks.