Community Chest of Korea commits $700,000 to Nepal flood relief

The Community Chest of Korea has launched an emergency relief effort for victims of catastrophic flooding in Nepal, where the death toll has surpassed 1,000. The organization said it will move quickly to deliver food, clean water, sanitation supplies and other essentials to survivors.

The Community Chest of Korea said it will provide $700,000 in emergency funding to support relief and recovery for residents affected by the Nepal floods.

A glacier collapse and flash floods struck the Himalayan mountain region along the Nepal-Tibet border on Aug. 26 (local time), killing more than 1,100 people in Nepal alone and leaving thousands missing.

Working through the Korea NGO Council for Overseas Development Cooperation, the Community Chest of Korea plans to deliver emergency humanitarian aid focused on food and nutrition, personal hygiene, clothing and blankets, and clean water. The organization said it will also tailor its relief operations to local conditions, taking into account the scale of the damage and Nepal's response capacity.

The floods damaged 12 hydropower and energy infrastructure sites, washed out 32 bridges and destroyed about 40 kilometers of roads. Concerns have also been raised about the risk of secondary disasters, as roughly 20,000 natural glacial lakes exist in the Nepal and Himalayan region, raising the possibility of further glacial lake outburst floods.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the people of Nepal who have lost their families and livelihoods in this devastating flood," Community Chest of Korea Chairman Yoon Yeo-jun said. "We will do our utmost to provide the emergency relief and humanitarian support needed on the ground so that those affected can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

The Community Chest of Korea has a track record of responding to major overseas disasters, having provided $500,000 following the 2011 Japan earthquake, $700,000 after the 2015 Nepal earthquake, $500,000 in response to the 2021 Haiti earthquake, $1 million for the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake, $500,000 after the 2025 Myanmar earthquake and $1 million following the 2026 Venezuela earthquake.