World Vision welcomes Australian support as Nepal faces one of its worst disasters in decades
Friday, 28 August 2026
Key Facts:World Vision spokespeople available for interview, including on
- Australia’s $5 million for Nepal – World Vision has welcomed today’s announcement by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister Anne Aly, with funding directed to food, emergency shelter, clean water and sanitation for families cut off by the floods
- The scale of what’s ahead: more than 380 dead, more than 900 unaccounted for, 32 bridges and 40 kilometres of road gone, with entire villages in Rasuwa and Nuwakot swept away and communities still unreachable
- What children need first: food, safe shelter and clean water tonight, then the routine and psychosocial support that helps them feel safe again after watching their homes disappear or losing their family members
- Why Himalayan communities are on the front line: the second catastrophic flood on the same river in 13 months, and the growing risks from glacier melt and unstable glacial lakes
- World Vision Nepal’s response – rapid assessments underway and emergency funds being mobilised, with a national director in Kathmandu available to speak to the situation on the ground
For queries and media requests, please contact:
Domi Gonzales at [email protected] or 0413 788 380.
Claire McIlroy at [email protected] or 0422 925 100.
World Vision Australia has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement of $5 million in humanitarian assistance for communities devastated by this week’s catastrophic flooding along the Nepal–China border.
Authorities have reported more than 380 deaths, with more than 900 people still unaccounted for, including residents, security personnel and foreign travellers. Thirty-two bridges and around 40 kilometres of road have been lost.
The flood, triggered on Wednesday morning local time when an avalanche of ice and rock blocked a tributary of the Bhotekoshi River before releasing a sudden surge downstream, swept away entire settlements in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts and carried destruction down the Trishuli and Narayani rivers.
World Vision Australia CEO Grant Bayldon said the funding would help reach families in some of the most remote and hardest-hit communities in the Himalayas: “Children in these mountain villages went to sleep on Tuesday night with a home, a school and a community. By late morning, there was nothing. Families who survived are now cut off from help by the same rivers that took everything from them, and they need food, shelter and clean water before anything else.
“We’re grateful to the Australian Government, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Minister for International Development Anne Aly, for acting quickly. Australians have always had a deep affection for Nepal, and this support reflects who we are as a country. Our thoughts are also with the families of Australians who remain unaccounted for,” Mr Bayldon said.
The Australian package also includes deploying humanitarian specialists through the Australia Assists program.
World Vision Nepal is coordinating with government authorities and humanitarian partners, with rapid needs assessments underway and emergency funds being mobilised for food assistance, shelter kits and essential household items for affected children and families.
World Vision Nepal National Director Roslyn Gabriel said: “The scale of this is still unfolding. Every day we learn of more communities that have been cut off, more homes gone, more families who don't know where their loved ones are. Our teams are working alongside the authorities and local partners to reach the most vulnerable households first, and the immediate needs are simple and urgent: food, safe shelter and clean water.
“For children, the loss goes beyond what can be replaced. Many have lost their homes, some have lost family, and they need to feel safe again.”
Australians can help provide urgent food, safe shelter and clean water to children and families devastated by the catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal by donating at worldvision.com.au.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- World Vision has worked in Nepal since 1982, delivering long-term development programs in child protection, education, health and nutrition, livelihoods and disaster risk reduction, and responding to emergencies including the 2015 earthquakes and the 2024 floods.
- World Vision Nepal is coordinating with the Government of Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and humanitarian partners. Rapid needs assessments are underway, with emergency food assistance, shelter kits and essential household items being prepared for distribution.
- This is the second catastrophic flood on the Bhotekoshi in 13 months. In July 2025, a glacial lake outburst on the Tibetan side killed nine people and destroyed the Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China.
- Casualty and infrastructure figures are as reported by Nepali authorities and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority as at 28 August approx. 8:00am AEST, and are expected to rise.
- The Australian Government’s $5 million package comprises $2 million to the World Food Programme, $2 million to Australian NGOs through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, and $1 million to the Emergency Action Alliance. World Vision Australia is a partner in the Australian Humanitarian Partnership.
- World Vision spokespeople available for interview.
About us:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision and their partners are working in communities to improve families’ economic prospects, strengthen violence prevention and child protection services, and improve education systems. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
Contact details:
Domi Gonzales | [email protected] | 0413 788 380.
Claire McIlroy | [email protected] | 0422 925 100.