Heartbreak in the UAE: Nepali Residents Mourn Missing Loved Ones Following Catastrophic Nepal Floods

Nepali residents in the UAE are grappling with profound grief as they speak of neighbors and friends swept away in the devastating floods that have left thousands missing. Members of the Nepali community detailed the immense challenges facing rescue teams, who are working to clear bodies crushed inside buildings and smothered in mud after the Rasuwa River overflowed through towns and washed away homes.

Manoj Marahatta, a Nepali entrepreneur, expressed deep sorrow upon learning that more than 30 neighbors remain missing after the bus they boarded for a pilgrimage was caught in the floodwaters. “Five people jumped out of the bus, but 32 people are missing. These are my neighbors and they have not returned, there is no trace of them,” said Mr. Marahatta, speaking of his hometown, Gurkha, where a hospital, a bank, and low-lying houses were destroyed.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the disaster as unimaginable and heartbreaking, noting that more than 900 bodies have been recovered and over 4,200 people remain missing, including more than 500 foreign nationals. In response to the crisis, the UAE recently delivered a $10 million humanitarian aid package, which included an aid plane carrying 83 tonnes of food and shelter supplies.

A massive rock-and-ice avalanche triggered the flash floods in the mountain valleys of the Rasuwa and Dhadhing districts. “There are no roads, just mud. A bridge in my town in Dhading district is gone. On the lower level, the whole city is washed away,” said Mr. Marahatta. Community members in Dubai have rallied to support relief efforts, organizing a cricket tournament to raise funds for the Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.

The Nepali embassy in Abu Dhabi reported that the government has mobilized all available resources for search, rescue, and recovery operations. Santosh Khanal, president of the Federation of International Nepali Youth Entrepreneurs in the UAE, emphasized the severity of the crisis, noting that overseas citizens are deeply impacted as they work to mobilize support and donations for those affected.