Kathmandu: The United States has announced an additional $31 million in financial assistance to help repair the damage caused by the severe floods in Nepal.
To support efforts to restore flood-affected areas in Nepal, the United States on Tuesday (Sept. 22) announced an additional $31 million (Rs. 260 crore) in financial assistance. This includes building permanent bridges, providing humanitarian aid, and supplying drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) made in the United States for future disaster relief operations.
In this regard, the U.S. Embassy in Nepal posted the following on its 'X' page:
During the UN General Assembly meeting, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker and Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal met and spoke as a courtesy.
At that time, they discussed Nepal-U.S. relations, the relief and reconstruction efforts being undertaken following the recent severe river floods in Nepal, and the United States’ continued support for Nepal’s recovery efforts. Allison Hooker conveyed the United States’ “deepest sympathies” to everyone affected by the floods, especially the families of the approximately 70 Americans who have still not been found.
United States to Provide Additional $31 Million to Support Nepal's Flood Recovery Efforts
— U.S. Embassy Nepal (@USEmbassyNepal) September 23, 2026
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker met today with Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal in New York. Under Secretary Hooker extended the United States’… pic.twitter.com/9KZ1vBL7mb
Following this meeting, the United States has officially announced an additional $31 million (Rs. 260 crore) in financial assistance to support efforts to restore areas in Nepal affected by the devastating floods.
Of this, plans have been announced to provide $10 million in funding from a U.S. company to rebuild key transportation infrastructure washed away by the floods, including the construction of durable, specially designed bridges.
It said that these bridges will restore critical transportation infrastructure in the affected areas and also strengthen connectivity between regions.
An additional $8 million in funding will be provided to the affected areas for clean drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, as well as assistance for shelter, protection, livelihoods, and winter needs.
It also said that $13 million in funding will be provided to supply U.S.-made drones designed to assist future disaster recovery efforts.
With this additional funding announcement, total U.S. assistance for Nepal’s flood relief and recovery efforts has exceeded $36 million.
It has also been stated that the United States will continue working closely with the Government of Nepal to identify the areas most in need of additional assistance and to provide it.
This funding announcement was made as Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah departed from Kathmandu for the United States on Tuesday to participate in the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly.
Prime Minister Shah, who is traveling with a 14-member delegation to attend the U.N. General Assembly, is scheduled to address the assembly on Sept. 24.
At that time, Shah will speak before the international community, presenting Nepal’s key priority issues. In particular, Prime Minister Shah is expected to speak about the intensifying climate crisis in Nepal, climate justice for affected countries, technology transfer, easier access to climate finance, and international support for reconstruction efforts.
During his stay in New York, he also plans to meet and talk with the UN Secretary-General. He will return to the country on Sept. 26. This will be Prime Minister Shah’s first foreign trip since taking office.
The sudden flood caused by a glacier-rock avalanche on August 26 near the Nepal-Tibet border devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal. The Bhotekoshi River, which flows south from the Himalayan border region, carried the floodwaters downstream, sweeping away houses, vehicles, roads, and bridges, and also damaging hydropower projects.
With more bodies recovered from the affected areas, the number of people killed in the flash floods in Nepal has risen to 1,451, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said in a statement issued on Tuesday. It also said that 1,333 bodies have been kept safely, 112 bodies have been handed over to family members, and more than 6,000 people are still missing so far after the floods.
It further said that a total of 344 people had been receiving treatment at 19 health centers, of whom 12 are currently under treatment, and four died during treatment.
Among the affected, 1,134 people have been housed in 21 temporary shelters; this includes 793 people in nine centers in Rasuwa, 220 people in eight centers in Nuwakot, and 121 people in four centers in Dhading.
So far, 3,345 DNA samples have been handled in forensic laboratories, including DNA samples collected from the bodies of 1,329 deceased individuals and 2,016 reference DNA samples collected from relatives of the missing.
The international forensic expert teams assisting in rescue and search operations include 19 DNA experts from India, 2 fingerprint experts from Singapore, 3 DNA experts from South Korea, 3 fingerprint experts from the United States, and 15 DNA experts from China.
In the 430 km-long river stretches across eight districts affected by the floods, 2,472 police personnel have been deployed under the 'Timure-Triveni' initiative. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said they are carrying out search and rescue operations, using sniffer dogs and drones, disseminating DNA-related information, and managing relief, rehabilitation, and camp operations.