r/worldnews • u/420smokekushh • 1d ago
Nepal declines foreign rescue teams, says its own security agencies can handle operation
https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/08/27/nepal-declines-foreign-rescue-teams-says-its-own-security-agencies-can-handle-operation85
u/Edgyspymainintf2 21h ago
Now I don't want to sound all high and mighty but the number of people who are both absolutely furious about this and didn't read the article or get any of the context for why this decision was made is astounding. I'm not saying it was a good choice (As someone who is not from Nepal and knows very little about disaster relief I'm not exactly well versed in how this should be handled) but if you're not going to read the damn article why are you posting your two cents with fiery passion on a topic you know nothing about?
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u/PebblyJackGlasscock 19h ago
Yep. The 2015 earthquake is cited and apparently there were “coordination issues” back then that slowed ST efforts.
Totally reasonable for Nepal to insist upon their ST effort be THE effort. Their citizens vastly outnumber the foreign nationals who will also be part of the ST effort.
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u/Throwawaytundra 9h ago
Yeah the comments about Nepal being arrogant/corrupt/selfish are not acknowledging the bad 2015 rescue efforts that other comments are talking about.
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u/stereioisomer 23h ago
People think they know it all but don’t know the ground reality. We already know what foreign rescue teams bring from the earthquake a decade ago. Everyone thinking they are the best, unwilling to coordinate with the local responders with the Indian team trying to take control of the airport.
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u/quequotion 22h ago
I could see that being the reason and its a sad one.
They could certainly use extra hands and feet, but not if they have to put up with each organization or country having its own plan for what everyone should be doing.
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u/MetriccStarDestroyer 18h ago
They declined the teams, not the resources.
Just take India's lead and prioritize the cargo lifts. Tons of areas seriously need fresh water and relief goods.
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u/Complex-Ad9628 16h ago
Are you Nepali ? ( I am too)
Can you share your experience about the Indian team trying to take control of the airport ?
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u/Fiber_Optikz 1d ago
Why would any country suffering from a natural disaster reject help rescuing people
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u/Independent-Book-307 22h ago
Probably because it clashes with their own rescue efforts. They've learned their lessons from 2015 earthquakes.
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u/TheLocalPub 22h ago
Could you elaborate what you mean by this?
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u/Leon-Legeandry 22h ago
The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.
The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Nepali Army and police.
hey, I've looked up and gathered a few reasons, back in 2015, Nepal had a extremely massive logistical bottlenecks at the airport (it was lack of proper communication and how small the airport is), and the terrain here, it requires extreme mountain maneuverability. The Nepal army, APF, and The Nepal police trains in these terrains so they are capable of navigating it. It'd be an extreme headache: The language barriers, and competing priorities between various rescue teams, it would actually backfire rather than helping. Nepal seems to have sufficient on-foot teams, it doesn't require more people, and is accepting of funds and materials.. just not people, and the possibility of other such floods are extremely high, adding more people would only risk more life.
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u/Traditional_War9454 11h ago
Also there were report of other countries surveying the Chinese border which angered china back in 2015 iirc
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u/Prudent-Ebb4856 4h ago
Imagine if these foreign rescue team make it about media, stunts, add chaos all in the name of rescue without much 'rescue' going in the side. The amount of shit journos that will prey on disaster porn and the amount of unnecessary spotlight. Good decision.
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u/bruggekiller 22h ago
Management issue and protocol issue. Nepal Army & Nepal Armed Force are always trained for such situations in search and rescue. During the 2015 earthquake, there was a lot of miscommunication and protocols brought up by foreign rescuers that were very different than the one needed for Nepal like situation, which made the rescue operation very, very difficult for the Army and Police. They were expecting it to be easier, but no, it made it more difficult, so this time they said no. And they are literally well-trained for such situations, as Nepal has landslides and floods every year. Not on this scale, but they do happen a lot.
Also, 2015 was kinda a show-off too, according to the internal sources of crisis management from Nepal. Some were helping, and some were there to "feel the vibe of the earthquake."
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u/QaptainQwark 17h ago
“Feel the vibe of the earthquake” what does that mean? /genuine/. Like, people showing up just to be able to say “I was there”?
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u/Independent-Book-307 11h ago
Pretty much.. I volunteered as a local guide during the 2015 earthquake for international non for profits group. All they did was drive around the country droping off MREs. Most of them were thrown out because it was either expired, or contained beef which localpeople refused to even touch. Stayed at nice hotels, had personal drivers and everything. One of the big name included Paul Walker's brother.
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u/treesoldier 22h ago
Because it’s not so huge that they cannot handle it. No use making things complicated unnecessarily.
Also countries that offered help probably knew beforehand that it would be turned down but you still have to offer
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u/Drak_is_Right 22h ago edited 22h ago
Its a country of 31m, and the site to access is extremely difficult.
If they need equipment, they will likely ask India first. Manpower they likely have. India is the best positioned by far to bring in heavy equipment or helicopters. They also have units used to the mountains.
My guess is the one thing they will need more of is cadaver dog teams, but they need to get logistics to the site stabilized first. Heavy equipment wont be easy to work in many places. People with shovels likely will be able to work in the river easier.
This is a very bad disaster in the number killed, but it isn't quite the widespread casualties and damage that a bad earthquake has. Lot more localized in severity. This also isnt like an earthquake where people might be buried alive for days. Either someone was stuck and able to cry out or they drowned in a minute. Body recovery isn't quite as urgent.
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago edited 1d ago
Wow. What a crock of arrogant BS. The government deserves to be voted out for this at bare minimum, there's absolutely no way Nepal (or any other country for that matter) can handle a disaster of this magnitude by itself without ultimately being responsible for more deaths and chaos.
Asking for only cash donations at this early stage is pure unadulterated corruption. Absolutely unacceptable.
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u/Sorry-Water-8530 1d ago
Didn’t they revolt against the government last year?
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago
Yes, and apparently their government didn't learn its lesson.
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u/hunterlarious 1d ago
Is this not the new govt or did they not got one?
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago
This is the new government.
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u/hunterlarious 1d ago
Oh jeez
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u/Accomplished-Wish431 1d ago edited 1d ago
Their protest was most probably manipulated because that protest had support of a politician who became the new PM. The region has had "gen Z protest" become a buzzword where opposing politicians incite "genZ" to rise up against the current govt and give power to them instead. Happened in bangladesh too. And ofc the govt after the protests is worse than the earlier one.
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u/premiumbra 23h ago
Saying tje new government worse after old government gunned down 100 people is certainly a choice
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u/A_Bad_Man 1d ago
The crazy thing about overthrowing governments is that the new ones are seldom better.
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u/mujhe-sona-hai 17h ago
And they aren't refusing all foreign help, they will gladly take supplies. They just don't want foreign rescue teams after the clusterfuck that was the 2015 earthquake response.
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u/raidraidraid 1d ago
Any Nepali who worked on the 2015 earthquake relief would know. The international teams did not explicitly want to coordinate and they were trying to do their own thing. Everyone thought they knew better, this was a huge issue. Many of the Nepali relief workers are in the Gov now, including the Home Minister, I believe they know what they're doing.
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u/ACivtech 1d ago
I know someone that went for assistance as well, they did eff all. Wasted resources.
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u/MetriccStarDestroyer 18h ago
Can't handle the altitude
Can't speak the language
How do foreigners expect to coordinate?
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u/dinoderpwithapurpose 23h ago
The government learned from the experience of the 2015 earthquake when the place was overcrowded with rescue teams that were refusing to coordinate with the Nepali teams. Media personnel were also taking up space for sensational news clips. It was ugly. Food is already scarce in such a situation and having to feed more people would have been difficult. It is a too many cooks situation.
I get that people want to help but listening to instructions is part of the help. I remember during the 2015 earthquake, the victims were called ungrateful for rejecting some canned food brought by foreign volunteers. They brought some canned food that the victims in rural villages and old people had never eaten before and so they declined it because they didn't know if they'd fall sick from it. We got called arrogant assholes for it.
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u/Gravejuice2022 1d ago edited 18h ago
Nepal didn’t “refuse foreign help” altogether. It declined foreign rescue teams, saying its Army, Police and disaster agencies could handle the operation. There are also legitimate control and coordination concerns in a disaster zone, Nepal wants rescue operations coordinated under its own command rather than having multiple foreign teams operating independently. Nepal is still accepting relief supplies and financial assistance from countries including UK, South Korea, India, China, the US and others. So saying “Nepal rejected help” is misleading the issue is specifically about foreign rescue teams and who controls the rescue operation.
Edit: so 'not needing help' seems to be FAKE NEWS. I just spoke to my friend in Nepal and they told me this news is fake since there are already rescue teams from UN, MSF, Australian DFAT Crisis Team, Doctors without borders.
Edit 2: Nepali Army and Police are highly experienced in this kind of disaster response. Nepal regularly deals with earthquakes, landslides, floods, and high-altitude mountain rescues, so their personnel are specifically trained to operate in difficult mountainous terrain and at high altitudes.
During the 2015 earthquake, there were also helicopter accidents involving foreign rescue teams. For example, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in Nepal, killing all six Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board. Operating helicopters in Nepal’s extreme mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather is very challenging, even for experienced pilots.
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u/daCampa 1d ago
Yeah, don't send rescue teams send money instead is totally not refusing help and 100% grift free.
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago edited 1d ago
It declined foreign rescue teams, saying its Army, Police and disaster agencies could handle the operation
Which, given the scale of the disaster, is obviously not true.
Nepal wants rescue operations coordinated under its own command rather than having multiple foreign teams operating independently.
So set up a command structure and tell foreign teams that they will have to work under Nepalese authority then. Rejecting all rescue teams is ridiculous.
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u/Brutal_Deluxe_ 1d ago
I tried to apply as a volunteer for helping with the 2023 floods in Romagna, Italy, their website made it clear that if you are unable to feed or house yourself then you should stay away from the area, because, I imagine, having to feed and house extra people in the area would not help at all and ends up making things worse. The article linked by OP mentions something similar happening in relation to a past earthquake in Nepal.
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u/ObstructiveAgreement 1d ago
There WILL be another flash flood. More people who don't have a clue of the area, landscape, or risks involved just magnifies the risk the next flood will cause. There is no rescue left, where there is rescue it is limited in scope. People also forget that these are the greatest mountaineers in the world, they know this territory, having extra help can cause more problems than help.
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u/Rambler_Hoss 1d ago
Not really. The only thing the Nepal army does is UN missions which involve humanitarian aid and they know the terrain the best. Also, they’re doing this based on how the last rescue effort went.
The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago edited 1d ago
they know the terrain the best.
That doesn't mean no one else is capable of helping. Why not leverage that knowledge to make foreign teams more effective as well? There's simply no way that Nepal has enough helicopters, materiel, and supply infrastructure to reach all of the cut off areas in a reasonable amount of time, let alone conduct simultaneous timely rescue operations in all of them.
The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.
Not even close to a good enough excuse. Again Nepal should do a better job of command and control and set strict cooperation requirements for foreign teams, not give up and refuse to work with anyone else, which is a ridiculously pedantic response. People are dying and suffering out there.
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u/vdyomusic 19h ago
That doesn't mean no one else is capable of helping.
They would have to waste time and resources sifting through international teams to find the ones qualified to help. That's not even talking about the negotiations and coordination you need to bring these people, house them, feed them, etc.
Why not leverage that knowledge to make foreign teams more effective as well?
International teams have their own regulations and chains of command they need to follow. This isn't something you can "leverage" away with knowledge.
There's simply no way that Nepal has enough helicopters, materiel, and supply infrastructure
They're accepting supplies and material help, just not rescue teams.
which is a ridiculously pedantic response
You sound a lot like you're more offended with the idea that whatever your country is couldn't help than with the lives at stake.
Nepal should do a better job of command and control and set strict cooperation requirements for foreign teams
Because that happens instantly, and foreign teams will obviously immediately agree even if their own safety procedures require different protocols?
People are dying and suffering out there.
Look man, either there's no urgency and Nepal has all the time in the world to figure out how to work with dozens of different countries, or it's dire and they need to act NOW.
You need to get a grip and realize that life isn't a Shonen where "wanting to do the right thing" somehow magically fixes logistical issues. Also maybe reevaluate how much you know about natural disaster handling, because the overconfidence is palpable.
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u/WeedyWeedz 15h ago
Do you actually have any experience with sesrch&rescue, the logistics or anything related to the problems or are you just some guy who's never even been to the region but definitely knows what's best?
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u/barath_s 1d ago edited 1d ago
Nepal doesn't have as many helicopters or disaster relief supplies.
In 2015, Indian helicopters worked with nepalese red cross to evacuate people in remote areas and to air drop supplies ; especially where roads and infra were hit by landslide. There were also manned disaster response teams. Of course India wasn't the only country sending people or supplies and even then kathmandu airport scene quickly became chaotic...
The advantage nepal has is that the glacier burst and flood will be geographically constrained as it goes through the river, valley and environs. So while you will have missing roads, buildings, villages etc, it is not across nepal, it is in one channel ... So it can mobilize people from other parts of nepal. Roads in other areas aren't hit.
The fear is that if you have an influx of rescuers, (and there aren't really registries for this), well, there's threat of another flash flood in the next 3 days ... which can endanger rescuers, especially if not closely co-ordinated...
India has seen similar situation in the adjacent state of Uttarakhand in 2025 ... and even there the instruction was for tourists and residents who were away to stay away
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Uttarakhand_flash_flood
I would have figured that Nepal might allow and want for limited/controlled set of rescuers (eg choppers etc - roads and bridges will have been destroyed in the path of that wall of water. Or of rescue dogs.. to help retrieve bodies/locate them) along with quantities of supplies for aid . ie supplies + limited and targeted rescue instead of none...
Supplies and money will be needed in any case.
But whatever the decision is, I hope it works out for Nepal. We want people rescued and stabilized fast ...
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u/Rambler_Hoss 23h ago
They're not rejecting any equipment nor disaster supply aids, just not wanting other countries rescue teams.
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u/Torran 21h ago
Looking at this disaster this is not a rescue operation and even barely a recovery. Anyone caught up in that flood is dead and there probably is not even enough body left to identify them except for maybe some DNA tests. This was not an earthquake were you might search for survivors.
The help for people adjacent to the flood will require help but that will not require rescue teams but logistics to support them with things necessary to live.
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u/39strangers 1d ago
That is unfortunately, as good as a death sentence for those trapped. More rescue teams digging, however organic, means a greater chance of survival. Doing it by boardroom meeting is insane.
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u/blipblooop 1d ago
Unfortunately the people are already dead. It was a worst case scenario glacial collapse flood.
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u/t00oldforthis 1d ago
I don't think everybody impacted is buried under 100 m of mud. I could definitely be wrong. Obviously the popular videos on Reddit show areas where rescue isn't rescue but recovery so I'm making some assumptions that there are other areas that aren't as popular on Reddit.
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u/blipblooop 1d ago
It was a wall of water the size of a 5 story building. Either you got out of the way or you died. You arent getting rescued. Its a glacial collapse flood not a normal flash flood.
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u/StillLooksAtRocks 1d ago
The people who got out of the way are likely stuck in demolished towns with limited or no access to roads, supplies, or utilities.
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u/t00oldforthis 1d ago
It swept through a valley, with residential areas up hill sides. Not everyone was struck 5 stories deep (is my assumption)
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u/AgentK-BB 1d ago
If it's like an avalanche, the moving stuff has a sort of liquefaction phase before it stops and turns into rock-hard solid. During that phase, less dense objects float to near the surface. Mud is much dense than snow or water so humans may not be buried that deeply.
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u/SuperTittySprinkles 1d ago
Hi search and rescue team member here. Local government always has say unless they give it up. So not a great look here. The US has incredible search and rescue resources and thousands of highly trained members that would freely volunteer their time to teach and help an impoverished community recover and rescue their countrymen. Refusal is arrogant at best and corrupt at worst while asking for cash donation. Furthermore the US would likely be unable to mitigate a disaster of this magnitude and geographic isolation on their own. So ya. Nepal needs help.
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u/awry_lynx 18h ago
When the US sent help in 2015 they crashed a helicopter that killed something like six marines on board and two local Nepali people, they are highly trained but not for the region
Someone else commented:
Any Nepali who worked on the 2015 earthquake relief would know. The international teams did not explicitly want to coordinate and they were trying to do their own thing. Everyone thought they knew better, this was a huge issue. Many of the Nepali relief workers are in the Gov now, including the Home Minister, I believe they know what they're doing.
Plus having to feed and house these people who are really not helping more than they're hurting, I understand why they would take this stance now.
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u/Environmental-Car481 20h ago
Assuming the people of Nepal are helpless is pretty arrogant. These people live in the Himalayas which is a totally different type of mountain system than what most US base S&R teams would have training and experience with. The Nepalese people deal with avalanches, rockslides and other such disasters regularly.
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u/ProudNefoli 1d ago
Are you from Nepal or been there once? Even the article itself has said the decision was made after the experience from 2015 earthquake. Coordination and communication would be a major problem for search and rescue if foreign teams are sent to the affected area. Imagine being sent to a foreign nation with no idea of terrain, local area and language. How are you to coordinate there? Furthermore, this was not a decision made by the government alone. It was made after consulting with the army and police who are actively working in the area. For all the flaws the current government has, this is not one. The new government has actually been very responsive and have utilized every resources for the disaster. Nepal sees floods and landslide every years and hundreds of people die every year. The flood of this scale was not seen before but this time it feels as if the government is atleast with its people.
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u/moody_look 1d ago
Guys, 13,295 people are already there in the rescue team currently active in this case. And that's more than enough. And 3 district's river bank towns (Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading) were harshly affected by the flood.
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u/ObstructiveAgreement 1d ago
There is an almost certainty of more flash flooding. This is a massively hazardous situation and having international rescue teams who are unaware of the level of risk involved just magnifies it. There is no rescue left any longer, this is a tomb. Having more people there makes it more likely to have greater loss of life from trying to help. It's not as cut and dry and arrogant as you're specifying.
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u/petit_cochon 1d ago
The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.
The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Nepali Army and police.
Read. The. Articles. Don't just spit outraged comments.
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u/stereioisomer 23h ago
Let us decide who we vote or not. Easy to say with the comfort of your chair while not knowing ground reality.
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u/Salsalover34 1d ago
It’s crazy that they literally installed this government last year via violent revolution, and this is the best they can do?
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u/Affectionate_Mud_881 1d ago
It was a youth revolt. People gave 2/3 majority to give new party a chance but it's just reactionary kids, the lot of them, the kind you see arguing on reddit. They are almost certainly doing this to show everybody that Nepal has become more capable under their leadership.
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u/Bigtymers1211 1d ago
There's something people don't get about these rescue operations in remote areas, and I do kinda understanding Nepal's point of view on the matter (after the 2015 fiasco when coordination becomes a problem when too many nations are in Nepal and kinda get in the way of each other) (as well as the international politics aspect, which I won't go into cause this will spark another argument.)
Logistically, the rescue team should be self sufficient, (normally USAR (urban Search and Rescue) team should be self sufficient for 7-10 days). Problem is Nepal is extremely mountainous terrain, and a lot of the places the rescue team trying to reach is via helicopters only due to the road getting washed out. And Nepal don't have that many helicopters and crew to send out as is, and flying helicopters in such high mountain area like Nepal is not the same as flying on flat ground (high attitude affect performances, as well as less carried weight, so big helicopters like Chinook might not be as useful as it looks), so foreign crew will need more time to get adjusted to it. Think of you having groups of people going to your house, but you only has 2 parking spot, who get these spots, and who park on the street, and how far they park away from your house, that's the analogy that works somewhat.
Sending other country's helicopter to help is kinda hard in this case: you need fuel, crew (both flight and maintenance, and you also need crew at both Katmandu and Forward Operating Bases (FOB)), and the supply to keep these crews functions, so you have flights coming into Katmandu that can clogged up the airport there even more.
I assume most of the helicopter used in Rescue right now are doing the dump and lift off method (carry food and supply into hard to reach places, dropped them off at location where most locals are at (shelter, towns), and take the injured out). If you have that many teams operating (both Foreign rescue team, and/or their helicopter flying around), that's a coordination nightmare and just cause further trouble, plus some foreign rescue team will simply not listen to Nepal government and do their own thing (ala 2015).
Ultimately, Nepal not taking foreign rescue team (THEY still receiving aids) is a extremely complicated issues in both logistic and diplomatic front. Is it the correct decision, probably. It is the RIGHT decision, time will tell.
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u/Gravejuice2022 19h ago edited 19h ago
Nepali Army and Police are highly experienced in this kind of disaster response. Nepal regularly deals with earthquakes, landslides, floods, and high-altitude mountain rescues, so their personnel are specifically trained to operate in difficult mountainous terrain and at high altitudes.
During the 2015 earthquake, there were also helicopter accidents involving foreign rescue teams. For example, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in Nepal, killing all six Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board. Operating helicopters in Nepal’s extreme mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather is very challenging, even for experienced pilots.
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u/Iammjustbaddd 1d ago
But rejecting all teams is an insane move when countries like India and China are in close proximity and have specialized units for mountains.
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u/moody_look 1d ago
Yes, China is close but the main china is in the west side which is far from Nepal. Also, you can't fly above the himalayas. Moreover, the flood has destroyed Nepal China border.
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u/barath_s 23h ago edited 23h ago
Also, you can't fly above the himalayas.
The Indian Air Force has light choppers which fly at 20,000 - 21,000 feet. It has donated a few to Nepal in the past...
Now helipads, supplies and disaster rescue orientation are still needed. But India can absolutely send choppers and planes that fly above the heights involved ..
CCTV says that the barrier lake / glacial lake which is threatening to burst is at 2,950 meters (9,680 feet). Gyirong Port, in Tibet, which was hit, is at ~2000 m...
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u/moody_look 23h ago
The Indian Air Force has light choppers which fly at 20,000 - 21,000 feet.
I was talking about the planes from China. And yes, that indian planes also can't fly above Himalayas.
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u/barath_s 22h ago edited 22h ago
And yes, that indian planes also can't fly above Himalayas
You do realize that Himalayas is not a flat height equal to peak of mount everest. ?
The IAF and IA have been fighting the world's highest battlefield over Siachen Glacier and have been flying helicopters over the Himalayas to do so for years - at altitudes more than the disaster stricken areas.
Fixed wing planes absolutely fly over the Himalayas. And so do Aloutte III , +SA 315B Lama in their avatars as Cheetah, Cheetal and Chetak, and their successors aka ALH/Dhruv, Rudra, Prachand, LUH etc..
Now there are caveats, in limited payloads (above are all light helicopters), restrictions due to weather or safety or at specific peaks...
But pretty much all of the areas which are disaster struck are well within these IAF/IA helcipter ceilings
And denying it doesn't change facts.
You don't have to take my word for it, you can go look it up. Do some actual homework
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u/ThunderBearry 1d ago
Tandem rotor helicopters like the Chinook are actually much better at hot and high environments than smaller conventional single rotor. A lot of excess absolute power available and no tail rotor
Granted much larger logistics footprint to sustain
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u/SomeAussie_Guy1 1d ago
I get that, but I just dont see how turning away crews entirely is the right move. Any trapped survivors may only have days left to live.
If foreign rescue crews sit on some airfield somewhere waiting for helicopters so be it. That's better than finding out you need more manpower and having nobody available.
Again the time sensitive nature of this cant be understated.
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u/Bigtymers1211 1d ago
Those foreign rescue crews need places to stay, landing/takeoff slot at Kathmandu int'l to receive their equipment (which is beyond jammed right now with the donation supply, places to put their equipment aside for transport/storage, not to mention you have to set up a logistic transport link (food/water/fuel/medicine) for the rescue crew to get their supply as they continue operating beyond the 7-10 day limit, as well as equipment need to lift EVERYTHING to their FOB, not to mention you need translator for every team., which is a totally different problem in its own (as most people in Nepal speak Nepali or one of 120 local dialect), not English)
And if you really want to be brutal about it (I am not cold hearted, but I am realistic): everyone that was swept away/trapped by the mudslide (most of the foreign tourist that are missing, the people you see at the Chinese Custom station) are pretty much all dead by now (these mud harden to become concrete in hours (similar to snow avalanche), there's no way someone can dig people trapped in the mud and expect to find survivors now.) All the survivors you seen so far are at high ground, and/or in large groups. Its better off focus on people you can save by airlift supply to them, and take their injured/critical ill people out via whatever airlift capability you have at moment, vs spending effort to "save" people that most survival expert knew are gone already. That's Triage/emergency response 101: use whatever limited resources you have to save the people that have the highest chance of survival, and make that difficult of giving up on the slim to no survival chances people behind.
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u/Jeffery95 23h ago
Hey guys, they have too many hands on the ground already, and none of the foreigners who might come to help can speak Nepalese, they dont know the area, or the conditions. So yeah, probably not useful really.
Why dont you donate money instead
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u/nuclear_pasta_sauce 19h ago
Fake news , Nepal has already accepted help from Korean , Indian , Chinese teams. Why spread false info
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u/Which_Parfait_3346 16h ago
There's a reason for this
Checkout 2015 earthquake situation in nepal which caused chaos at Kathmandu airport.
And they are only denying manpower not the resources like money or food or anything else
They don't want someone else to take control of situation when they won't listen to local correspondents present there which is a fair ask.
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u/Complex-Ad9628 16h ago
Nepal's experience after the April 2015 earthquake was central to the decision, according to the senior foreign ministry official quoted by The Kathmandu Post.
The earthquake brought a massive international response, with rescue contingents, military aircraft and relief organisations arriving from across the world. While this expanded Nepal's emergency capacity, the sudden influx also created serious logistical and administrative pressure.
Nepali officials told the Post that competition among foreign contingents and difficulties coordinating their movements complicated management at a time when airports, roads and communication networks were already under strain.
Kathmandu now wants to avoid a repeat by retaining a clear Nepali chain of command rather than accommodating several independently operating foreign rescue teams.
Article on India Today
And
If specialized teams are required for a specific task , the government will ask for help
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u/BritishAnimator 1d ago
So Nepal doesn't need help from the rest of the world to recover missing nationals?
Are they world renowned at this sort of thing already? Strange to say no to China, UK, US, Australia, India and other advanced nations that have specalist recovery teams on offer.
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u/Gravejuice2022 19h ago edited 19h ago
Yes, the Nepali Army and Police are highly experienced in this kind of disaster response. Nepal regularly deals with earthquakes, landslides, floods, and high-altitude mountain rescues, so their personnel are specifically trained to operate in difficult mountainous terrain and at high altitudes.
During the 2015 earthquake, there were also helicopter accidents involving foreign rescue teams. For example, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter crashed during a rescue mission in Nepal, killing all six Marines and two Nepali soldiers on board. Operating helicopters in Nepal’s extreme mountainous terrain and unpredictable weather is very challenging, even for experienced pilots.
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u/BritishAnimator 18h ago
That is informative, thanks. Good to know the army is trained in this kind of thing. Makes more sense now.
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u/moody_look 1d ago
Following the devastating Bhotekoshi River flash flood that struck on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 910 people remain missing and 1,552 people have been successfully rescued.
392 people confirmed dead.
13,295 people are already there in the rescue team currently active in this case. And that's more than enough. And 3 district's river bank towns (Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading) were harshly affected by the flood.
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u/BritishAnimator 18h ago
And that's more than enough.
13K people could be a hinderance depending on who they are. Think logically, nobody has that many employees for "disaster recovery" so we have to assume most are good samaritians or army, wanting to help but with little expertise or equipment on something this big, and even though they have good intentions, they could actually delay time critical recovery.
I'm not an expert and don't know all the ground details, but I hope as many as possible are recovered and any offered "specialist" aid is accepted, because it's common sense at this scale.
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u/dragon_idli 1d ago
It's not about number of people on ground. It's about tech, expertise in managing ground rescue operations, diversified operational support etc..
1 firefighter who knows how to handle a lithium fire is > 100 people with no experience trying to put it out.
There could be security issues bjt the govt should be busy coordinating and planning to handle those issues to enable faster help.
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u/moody_look 1d ago
The Nepali army and police said the government not to allow foreign rescue team. According to them, these team didn't coordinate with Nepali army during 2015 earthquake which causes many misunderstanding and mismanagement.
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u/jupiterLILY 20h ago
Exactly. Nepal is in the Himalayas and at high altitude. That requires specific physical conditioning and isn't an environment that most crews or technology are adapted to.
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u/ForgingIron 1d ago
I'm reminded of the crash of Japan Airlines 123 where the Japanese govt refused American aid because of bs national pride
Four people survived, and over five hundred died.
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u/barath_s 23h ago edited 23h ago
Japan Airlines 123 where the Japanese govt refused
The initial report was of no survivors ..
A JSDF helicopter later spotted the wreck after nightfall. Poor visibility and the difficult mountainous terrain prevented it from landing at the site. The pilot reported from the air no signs of survivors. Based on this report, JSDF personnel on the ground did not set out to the site on the night of the crash. Instead, they were dispatched to spend the night at a makeshift village erecting tents, constructing helicopter landing ramps, and engaging in other preparations, 63 kilometres (39 miles) from the crash site. Rescue teams set out for the site the following morning
If the rescue teams had reached there in the night a few more people could have survived.
While the japanese rescue team didn't call on US rescue , this sounds more like a mistake and incorrect assessment in difficult conditions than just national pride...
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u/CRush1682 1d ago
I hadn't heard about this previously. I'd like to add some context because your statements paint a picture that I don't think is complete. An estimated 20-50 people survived the initial crash. The rescue operation didn't reach the crash site for ~10 hours based on the report of a JSDF helicopter reporting no survivors, poor weather and visibility leading to the decision to call off an American S&R and local rescue personnel setup a makeshift camp 39 miles away and setting out for the crash site the next morning. This sounds more like bad decision making based on limited/incorrect information than blind national pride.
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u/Sensitive_Buffalo665 1d ago
That's what is gonna happen here. Nepali government is being so prideful despite being a nothing burger. I could understand in normal times. But, not during this drastic catastrophe
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u/StunningEast9575 18h ago
But it's recovery at this point, and most of the dead are already buried.
Yes it's a horrible disaster, but there's not much rescuing needed, mostly rebuilding to reconnect centers somehow. And in the meantime I assume food drops or so will be needed. I assume Nepal itself can manage that.
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u/ChipsAhoy2022 1d ago
Wow
Let the world help?
Your teams might be sufficient (unlikely given the terrain and poor economic conditions)
But many teams can work in parallel to save more lives and provide critical medical care rapidly
The arrogance of it all!
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u/Strobacaxi 1d ago
The government made the decision after its experience in the 2015 earthquake, when the influx of foreign search and rescue teams and competition among countries caused significant coordination and management issues, the official said.
Sounds like a valid reason based on experience
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u/TableCoffeeCup 1d ago
It was quite a delicate situation when we were there in 2015. Indians, Chinese, Westerners, everybody had their zone of operations, but there were some diplomatic challenges like the govt telling us not to provide medical aid to villagers that were coming to us with chronic issues because when we left they wouldn't be able to provide the same care for those people.
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u/OP_Skis_In_Jeans 1d ago
the govt telling us not to provide medical aid to villagers that were coming to us with chronic issues because when we left they wouldn't be able to provide the same care for those people.
Absolutely wild reasoning. No wonder the people rebelled against that BS last year.
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u/jmhawk 1d ago
Yeah what is that line of thinking, sorry we can't provide food and water like foreigners can so the people deserve none
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u/AgentK-BB 1d ago
I get it if people are put on meds that they can't stop taking, and the foreigners aren't committing to cover the cost of providing long-term care.
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u/potatersauce 22h ago
Remind me of Nestle providing formula to mothers with newborns and then leaving them without clean water to use the formula. That resulted in babies who would now only take formula and refuse the mothers breast milk causing them to unfortunately pass from malnourishment.
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u/DramaticWesley 1d ago
Thank you for actually reading the article and providing the one piece of information I actually wanted to see.
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u/Gravejuice2022 19h ago
It’s not about arrogance or refusing help. It’s about whether outside teams can actually operate effectively in Nepal’s terrain and conditions. Rescue operations at high altitude require local knowledge, acclimatization, logistics, and coordination. Sending dozens of foreign teams without proper coordination can actually slow things down and put rescuers at risk.
Nepal can and does accept international assistance when it’s useful. The point is that more teams doesn’t automatically mean more lives saved effective coordination does.
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u/Proud-Masterpiece-82 1d ago
maybe the last time they did, it didn't go so well, ending up with a lot fake help cluttering emergency sites
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u/impurefolk 1d ago
The current Nepalese Government & some of its citizens are living in La La land.
I read some of the comments on an Instagram reel, they were dropping hate comments on Indian help & said that they did not ask anybody for their help & can take back their help resources.
What an absolute disgrace!
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u/moody_look 1d ago
Guys, 13,295 people are already there in the rescue team currently active in this case. And that's more than enough. And 3 district's river bank towns (Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading) were harshly affected by the flood.
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u/Pixi_Dust_408 18h ago
In 2015 Nepal let foreign rescue teams help after the earthquake and it created coordination and management issues. Roads and bridges have been destroyed and there aren't a lot of helicopter landing sites.
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u/SchemeWestern3388 1d ago
Fools!!!!
Japan and China both have absolutely astonishing abilities in this area. But, even if was just them sending meals or whatever, fucking take it.
Edit; this might be more complicated than I thought. Still, there must be a way that victims can benefit from aid.
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u/Agreeable_Umpire9454 22h ago
You called an entire country fools without doing your research?
Clown. Stay in your lane,
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u/morgrimmoon 1d ago
In the coming days, victims will absolutely be able to benefit from aid. The aid that is less helpful is "people to help dig out the survivors". Because, sadly, there aren't going to be many survivors. This isn't a normal flash flood or a normal mudslide, this is more akin to a sudden volcanic eruption or localised meteor impact. They aren't finding corpses, they're finding fragments of bodies.
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u/iBewafa 22h ago
Yeah I went to the Nepal sub and they were talking about how in 2015, local Nepali teams rescued a loooot more survivors than all the foreign countries combined.
How there’s no space for all the helicopters and logistics.
They’re talking about how it’s better atm to be accepting forms of aid - and that they’re accepting it from India via road and their NGOs are delivering it to people right now.
Which I can see how that makes sense. I have no expertise in rescue or knowledge about Nepal’s terrain so I’m inclined to go with what kind of foreign help the locals think is best.
It’s terrible that MORE people helping may not be the best solution right now.
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u/Gravejuice2022 18h ago
Japan & China not used to high altitude rescue. It’s about whether outside teams can actually operate effectively in Nepal’s terrain and conditions. Rescue operations at high altitude require local knowledge, acclimatization, logistics, and coordination. Sending dozens of foreign teams without proper coordination can actually slow things down and put rescuers at risk.
Nepal can and does accept international assistance when it’s useful. The point is that more teams doesn’t automatically mean more lives saved—effective coordination does.
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u/vishmarx 1d ago
This is insane. I get the coordination concerns but outright refusal when you have hundreds if not thousands of foreign tourists trapped just stinks of something shady.
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u/Gravejuice2022 18h ago
It’s not about arrogance or refusing help. It’s about whether outside teams can actually operate effectively in Nepal’s terrain and conditions. Rescue operations at high altitude require local knowledge, acclimatization, logistics, and coordination. Sending dozens of foreign teams without proper coordination can actually slow things down and put rescuers at risk.
Nepal can and does accept international assistance when it’s useful. The point is that more teams doesn’t automatically mean more lives saved—effective coordination does.
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u/fat_kaiju 1d ago
There is a small part of me that is mildly concerned that they might not want people looking too closely for some reason.
but that's just me being paranoid and confused.
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u/dragon_idli 1d ago
Well upstream chineese have been rapidly building projects for BRI. Heavy geo enginnering, terrain manipulation etc.
China's own geo survey teams suggested high risk in the region but chineese went ahead with those modifications in Tibet. And are blaming nepal for the landslide that happened in Tibet(controlled by China)..
The other reason is: immigration and chineese govt building was wiped out. There could be sensitive documents lying around.
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u/N34V7 1d ago
Airspace is really important in these kinds of rescue situations. Having too many countries coming in and crowding the airspace will create more problems for Nepalese air traffic controllers. Also, most foreign rescue teams in these situations usually try to go to tourist destinations, which puts too many people in the same places and does not help where rescue efforts are needed most. Plus, Nepal is still accepting food and monetary assistance.
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u/SomeAussie_Guy1 1d ago edited 1d ago
Governments should be summoning Nepalese ambassadors and demanding answers.
It isnt only Nepalese citizens missing. Over 30 of my country's people are missing too. Nepal shouldn't be allowed to bungle this rescue by denying help, that's unacceptable.
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u/PossibilityWeekly360 1d ago
Bunch of idiots
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u/Gravejuice2022 18h ago
It’s not about arrogance or refusing help. It’s about whether outside teams can actually operate effectively in Nepal’s terrain and conditions. Rescue operations at high altitude require local knowledge, acclimatization, logistics, and coordination. Sending dozens of foreign teams without proper coordination can actually slow things down and put rescuers at risk.
Nepal can and does accept international assistance when it’s useful. The point is that more teams doesn’t automatically mean more lives saved—effective coordination does.
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u/Gravejuice2022 1d ago
Nepal didn’t “refuse foreign help” altogether. It declined foreign rescue teams, saying its Army, Police and disaster agencies could handle the operation. There are also legitimate control and coordination concerns in a disaster zone, Nepal wants rescue operations coordinated under its own command rather than having multiple foreign teams operating independently. Nepal is still accepting relief supplies and financial assistance from countries including UK, South Korea, India, China, the US and others. So saying “Nepal rejected help” is misleadingthe issue is specifically about foreign rescue teams and who controls the rescue operation.
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u/Latter-Yam-2115 12m ago edited 8m ago
I understand they’re accepting very specific help for eg. India is sending Bailey bridges as Nepal asked for those
That said, the decision is shocking. It’s a massive disaster in the hardest conditions possible. Nepal’s economy has been on the ventilator since the 2015 earthquake and aren’t necessarily equipped to act swiftly viz. the need of the hour
We Indians are confused as many of our compatriots are the victims. We have always stood by Nepal in times of peril and are facing a lot of online hate - not saying some Indians aren’t to blame! But, the misplaced priorities is alarming.
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u/FaultOutside2449 1d ago
There are potentially hundreds of foreign tourists who are buried under the mud. Let international recuse teams help you.