Nepal Blames India, US, China for Deadly Flash Floods

Nepal’s Foreign Minister has blamed India, China and the US for climate-related flood risks, while questions remain over China’s delayed warnings.

In a surprising development, Nepal has blamed India, China and the United States for contributing to the climate crisis behind the devastating floods that recently hit the country.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the international assistance sent by countries after the floods should not be seen as charity. According to him, countries that contribute heavily to global pollution should also take responsibility for the damage suffered by vulnerable countries like Nepal.

His argument is based partly on emissions data. In terms of total carbon emissions in 2024, China ranked first, the US second and India third.

But the picture changes when emissions are measured per person. The US ranked 16th, China 27th and India 121st. This shows why simply calling the three countries the “biggest polluters” does not tell the whole story.

Nepal has also raised concerns about China’s handling of flood and glacier-risk information. Reports say Nepal had requested data from China about glacier risks and water levels months before the disaster. Nepal also reportedly received the flood warning around 45 minutes late, with Chinese officials blaming poor communication systems between the two countries.

This has raised another question: If Nepal believes China contributed to the risks, why is it also blaming India and the US?

Some analysts believe Nepal may be trying to avoid directly damaging its relationship with China, but this remains speculation.

There is also an apparent difference in tone within Nepal’s government. While Foreign Minister Khanal criticised major polluters, Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah recently thanked both India and China for their quick assistance during the floods.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis continues. According to recent reports, more than 1,200 people have died and over 4,000 remain missing.

As the debate over responsibility continues, the immediate priority remains the same: rescue survivors, support affected families and understand what caused this devastating disaster.