Credit: Luxembourg Red Cross
On Thursday 27 August 2026, the Luxembourg Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported mobilising in response to a major disaster in northern Nepal, where flooding and landslides have affected thousands of families.
According to the Luxembourg Red Cross, Nepalese authorities have reported that six districts are currently affected, with 65 people confirmed dead, around 1,000 missing and more than 10,000 families affected. The organisation noted that these figures remain provisional and may change as search and rescue operations continue.
Initial information indicated that a major ice avalanche in the border region between Nepal and China may have caused a glacial rupture and subsequent flash flooding. Floods and landslides have affected several districts, including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Chitwan and Gorkha.
The situation is reportedly particularly critical in Rasuwa and Nuwakot, where humanitarian efforts are currently concentrated. Some communities have been completely isolated due to extensive damage to roads and bridges, while electricity and mobile communications have also been disrupted. In some areas, aid can currently only be delivered by helicopter.
The Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) has deployed teams and volunteers, with an initial team sent near Nuwakot with emergency equipment. A field hospital has also been established and a second team deployed to the area.
The most urgent needs include drinking water, sanitation and hygiene, shelter, food and financial assistance. According to the Luxembourg Red Cross, stocks of body bags are also insufficient.
The Luxembourg Red Cross has been active in Nepal since 2008 through a delegated management partnership with the NRCS. Its programmes in the country have focused primarily on responding to natural disasters, including earthquakes, landslides and monsoon-related flooding.
The organisation noted that Dhading, one of the districts affected by the current disaster, is of particular significance as the Luxembourg Red Cross carried out activities there during an earlier phase of its work in Nepal.
The Luxembourg Red Cross has appealed to the public for donations to support emergency operations, providing drinking water, shelter, food, healthcare and financial assistance to those affected.
Separately, MSF reported that an experienced emergency response team arrived in Nepal less than 24 hours after the flooding began. The team is currently in contact with health facilities to assess immediate needs and determine how it can support the national response.
According to MSF, its teams are assessing potential support in areas including shelter, non-food items, access to drinking water and latrines, medical care and emergency trauma treatment.
