Nepal PM Balendra Shah to seek climate compensation at UN after floods

Prime Minister Balendra Shah will address the UN General Assembly later this month and raise Nepal's climate disaster losses. The visit is set to frame the deadly floods as a climate justice issue and strengthen Nepal's call for compensation.Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah will visit the United States later this month to address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where he is likely to raise the issue of climate change and seek compensation from the international community over the devastating flash floods in the country.Shah is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24, according to the UN's official speaking schedule. The visit will be his first foreign trip since taking office on March 27.The flash floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. The disaster devastated towns and villages in northern and central Nepal, killing more than 1,300 people, while around 4,900 remain missing.Foreign Ministry sources said Shah will lead the Nepalese delegation to the UN General Assembly. Discussions and consultations are under way at various levels to formulate Nepal's position for the session. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is busy with preparations for the visit, while the Prime Minister's Office has held discussions with experts and scientists in Nepal and abroad on the issues to be raised during Shah's trip, officials said. Nepal is likely to raise the issue of climate change and campaign for compensation from the international community during Shah's address. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal will accompany the prime minister on the visit. A couple of days ago, Khanal held comprehensive discussions with representatives of diplomatic missions based in Nepal on the issue of climate justice that the country plans to raise on the global stage.The government is also assessing the human and material losses caused by the disaster. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are jointly preparing a report containing a factual assessment of the damage. According to the General Assembly Organising Committee, preparations for the opening and other sessions, to be held from September 8 to 28, have been intensified, while the general debate at the UN General Assembly will take place from September 22 to 26. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 5, 2026 15:54 IST