Photo: Agence France-Presse
On the morning of Wednesday, August 26, 2026, a massive flood wave hit the narrow valleys of the Lhende Khola River, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi River, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. According to the information currently available, the cause seems to be the sudden collapse of a Himalayan glacier. The violent and sudden wave of water, mud and debris swept away houses, roads and bridges, razing entire communities to the ground and causing extensive damage over a very large area. The precise extent of the losses, in terms of human lives and infrastructure damage, is not yet known. The images coming from Nepal, however, describe a tragedy of enormous proportions.
Thousands of people, who survived the flood wave, are now isolated and without access to sources of drinking water, food and basic necessities. The flood has in fact destroyed roads and bridges, making it impossible for those who survived to leave the valleys to seek refuge, and complicating the intervention of rescuers.
Doctors for Peace has been present in Nepal for over 15 years: in one of the districts affected by the tragedy, in particular, numerous mobile dental and gynecological camps have been created. In these hours, the staff of the Association is in constant contact with the local partner organizations with which it usually works to closely follow the evolution of the situation.
From these same organizations, which have been collaborating for years in the implementation of projects with great professionalism, dedication and transparency, a cry for help is coming. As soon as it is possible to reach the affected communities, hopefully in the coming days, local teams will go directly to the site to distribute health kits, food parcels and materials for the construction of emergency shelters in safe areas. Medium and long-term needs are also being assessed, to understand how to contribute to supporting communities in the post-emergency phase.
Doctors for Peace has decided to start a fundraiser to support the efforts that local partners are making: the donations received will be entirely allocated to the purchase of food, personal hygiene products, first aid kits and basic necessities to be distributed to the populations of the most affected communities.
You can participate in the fundraiser by making a transfer to:
Doctors for Peace ODV
IBAN: IT 15 O 03069 09606100000165785
Intesa Sanpaolo
BIC: BCITITMM
Reason: Nepal flood emergency
You can also donate through other channels. Find out how here.
All updates relating to the fundraising will be published on the website of Doctors for Peace ODV and on the social pages of the Association.
This tragedy once again affects the most vulnerable and isolated communities, lacking the necessary resources to deal with such violence. Our priority is to do everything possible to ensure immediate support for those who, suddenly, have lost everything.
