KATHMANDU, Aug 31: Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund has collected more than Rs 5.024 billion as individuals, businesses and institutions step up financial support for victims of the recent floods and other disasters.
The fund had received Rs 5.0246 billion as of Sunday, according to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Contributions have come from donors within Nepal as well as Nepalis and institutions abroad.
The latest fundraising drive follows the devastating Bhotekoshi floods, which caused widespread deaths, displacement and damage to roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other infrastructure along the Trishuli corridor. The disaster has placed additional pressure on the government to mobilise resources quickly for rescue, relief and rehabilitation.
The government said contributions to both the Prime Minister’s Natural Disaster Relief Fund and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund have continued to rise since the floods. To improve public oversight, it has also launched a Rescue Request Portal through which information on donations received through the two funds is being made available.
As of Sunday noon, donations had been deposited into accounts operated through nine commercial banks. The Prime Minister’s Office also reported that an additional US$2.1 million had been deposited into accounts held at Himalayan Bank and Laxmi Bank.
The government has appealed to individuals, businesses and organisations planning to donate to use only the officially designated QR code and bank accounts registered in the names of the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund or Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
The warning comes as large-scale disasters often create opportunities for fraudulent fundraising campaigns, particularly through social media and unofficial payment channels. Directing donations through verified government accounts is intended to reduce such risks and create a clearer record of how much money has been collected.
The bigger challenge now will be ensuring that the money reaches affected communities. With reconstruction likely to require far more than immediate relief spending, the government will need to publish regular updates on collections, expenditure, beneficiaries and projects funded through the donations.
Details of the authorised bank accounts, QR code and other donation channels have been published on the OPMCM’s official website.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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