Thousands remain missing after devastating floods and landslides triggered by a glacial collapse, as rescuers race to reach isolated communities and families search for their loved ones.
In Aotearoa, members of the Nepali community have gathered to mourn those killed and support families waiting for news.
A candlelight vigil was held at Auckland’s Aotea Square on Saturday, while five New Zealanders were believed to be among those still missing.
Nepali-born Rituraj Sapkota, who lives in New Zealand, said his thoughts remained with families confronting loss and uncertainty.
“Ka hoki te whakaaro ki Aotearoa ki ngā whānau o te tokorima e ngaro ana ... kia māia, kia kaha ai tēnei wā ki tēnei wā pōuri,” hei tāna.
The catastrophic flooding began on August 26 after an avalanche of rock and glacier ice near the Nepal-China border sent water, mud and debris through Himalayan valleys and into communities downstream.
At least 1,118 people had been confirmed dead in Nepal, and more than 3,900 remained missing as of Wednesday, including about 590 foreign nationals. More than 11,800 people had been rescued, but damaged roads and bridges continued to hinder efforts to reach isolated communities.
New Zealand has pledged $2 million in humanitarian assistance. The funding will support the Nepal Red Cross Society to provide emergency shelter, clean water, sanitation and services to reconnect separated families, as well as other organisations delivering relief.
Sapkota acknowledged the contribution and encouraged people wanting to help to donate through Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
“Tuatahi he nui te mihi ki te kāwanatanga, ki te Aotearoa whānui, ki tēnei koha.”
But she said Nepal’s experience carried a warning far beyond its borders.
“Ko te mea anō ehara tēnei he kaupapa mō Nepala anake. I ngā tau e haere ake nei, kāore e kore ka haere piki ake ēnei momo parekura i te ao whānui,” hei tāna.
That wider concern is also reflected in an expert opinion piece for Newsroom. Te Herenga Waka researchers Dr Lauren Vargo, Dr Shaun Eaves and Dr Brian Anderson said warming temperatures and retreating glaciers could leave mountain landscapes increasingly unstable, potentially triggering cascading rockfalls, debris flows and floods.
While the influence of climate change on any individual disaster remained difficult to determine, they said similar events had occurred in Aotearoa, raising questions about whether monitoring and hazard assessments were keeping pace with changes in alpine environments.
“He wā tēnei mō Aotearoa, mō te ao katoa ... kia ako ki tēnei wheako, kia wānanga, kia whakarite mō te anamata,” e ai kī a Sapkota.
Figures for those killed and missing continue to change as rescuers reach remote areas.
“Nui te mihi, he nui te aroha atu ki ngā whānau o rātou kua hinga ki tēnei parekura ... Me mōhio koutou e inoi ana te ao katoa i tō koutou taha i tēnei wā.”
