Nepal Shifts Focus to Rehabilitation as Flood Search and Rescue Operations Conclude

KATHMANDU, Oct 5 — Nepal officials announced Monday that search and rescue operations for victims of the devastating August floods have concluded, marking a transition into a long-term rehabilitation phase.

The catastrophe, triggered by an August 26 flood originating at Nepal’s border with China’s Tibet region, has left at least 1,455 people dead and 5,285 still unaccounted for. Meanwhile, 13,795 individuals were successfully rescued during the emergency response.

“We are moving from the search and rescue phase to the search and rehabilitation phase,” Phanindra Paudel, chief of the National Emergency Operation Centre, told Reuters.

Paudel noted that authorities are currently evaluating the legal framework required to declare the missing persons dead. This designation is necessary to allow families and relatives to finalize insurance claims, banking matters, and other legal formalities. “We are initiating due processes to complete required legal formalities,” Paudel added.

Dharam Raj Uprety, chief of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, clarified that active body searches would cease, though any human remains, property, or valuables discovered during rehabilitation efforts would be recovered. He confirmed that emergency rescues would continue to be conducted should the need arise.

The flood caused widespread destruction, wiping out 12 hydroelectric projects along with roads, bridges, farms, and settlements. Authorities estimate that nearly $5 billion is required to fund early recovery and rehabilitation efforts for the thousands displaced by the disaster.

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