Nepal criticizes Shah government’s response to floods — ABC News Australia
In Nepal, the government of Prime Minister Balendra Shah is facing criticism over its response to massive floods that claimed at least 1,410 lives in Nepal and Tibet, while another 5,651 people are considered missing. As ABC News Australia reports, 36-year-old Shah, known as Balen, took office only six months ago and became the world’s youngest national leader.
Complaints about lack of aid
Dhanusa district resident Himal Thakur said that his parents, older sister and older brother were working in Timure in Rasuwa district when the flood occurred there. Three members of his family are still missing; the body of a man believed to be his brother was recently found.
Thakur said he immediately sought help from the Nepal Army and local authorities but was unable to receive it. Several days later, his sister’s employer, Machhapuchchhre Bank, arranged a helicopter flight for him to Timure so he could search for his relatives himself. The man, who arrived from Cambodia in March to vote for Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party, now regrets his choice. According to him, aid is not reaching the mountainous areas and the flood’s epicentre.
Problems accessing affected areas
The Nepal Army continues to restore roads and install prefabricated bridges provided by India and China. Rescue teams and specialized equipment can reach many settlements only after connections are restored.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Nepal’s Minister of Information and Communications, Bikram Timilsina, acknowledged in an interview with DW that on the first day of the crisis, the authorities were confused about what to do next. He said that from the second day, the government focused its efforts on searching for people, rescue operations and delivering aid.
Shah’s government initially rejected offers of assistance from seven countries, including China, the United States and India, believing it could cope on its own. The authorities later accepted international support. Some residents also point to insufficient coordination between the central and local authorities.
Support for the government remains
Despite the criticism, more than 13 billion rupees, or $123 million, has been received by the prime minister’s relief fund for those affected. Kathmandu resident Toran Pandit called the donations evidence of public trust in the government. Krishna Shrestha, an expert in global development at the University of New South Wales, also said there had been a significant display of trust in the national government.
According to Shrestha, the public response differs from the situation after the 2015 earthquake, when distrust of the political establishment and concerns about corruption were much stronger. Shah did not address the nation after the flood and spoke to parliament a week later, but he posted messages daily on Facebook, X and Instagram. Rebuilding communities destroyed by the floods is estimated to cost billions of dollars.
