Country

Nepal

1. UN 'loss and damage' fund earmarks first-ever US$20 million for Nepal after deadly glacial floods

   The board of the UN Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage agreed at a special meeting on Oct 22 to set aside a US$20 million grant for Nepal, the first time it has earmarked money for any country. Floods and landslides triggered by a climate-linked ice and rock avalanche in Nepal in August killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing; the government puts reconstruction at about $4.78 billion, so the grant is under 0.5% and is the maximum for a single request. Nepal must still submit a plan for approval with no set timeline; rich countries have pledged about $822 million to the fund, which had never disbursed money.

   Oct 23, 2026 Afternoon
2. Two Japanese climbers missing for a week in Nepal's Annapurna range; helicopter and drone searches find no trace

   Japan Times, citing local officials in Nepal, reported that two Japanese men aged 40 and 25 have been out of contact since Oct 15 on a 7,000-metre-class peak in the central Nepal Himalayas, believed to be the 7,455-metre Gangapurna in the Annapurna range or a nearby lower unclimbed peak. Authorities have searched with helicopters and drones without finding any trace; Japan's embassy in Nepal said it is assisting the families and has not released their identities.

   Oct 22, 2026 Afternoon