Police officers carry an elderly survivor to a safer place at Devighat in Nepal's Nuwakot district, Aug. 30, 2026, following deadly flash floods and mudslides. The combined deaths in Nepal and China surpassed 950, with more than 4,000 people missing. (OSV News photo/Navesh Chitrakar, Reuters) Irish Jesuits International, Good Shepherd Sisters, and Irish Aid are providing emergency assistance to Nepal following the devastating floods and landslides on August 26.
“The protection and safety of human life remains the absolute priority, above any other consideration,” said Joe Munnelly, Communication and Research Officer for Irish Jesuits International to The Irish Catholic. The Irish Jesuits are partnered with the Nepal Jesuit Social Institute to conduct on-ground field and risk assessments, “to report and monitor the extent of damage to life and infrastructure.”
Mr Munnelly reported that Jesuit relief and aid responses include temporary shelter, food items, water and hygiene needs, and impact on schools and children, among others. He said the coordinated emergency assistance is hindered by road blockage and risk of more landslides in the coming days and weeks.
Based on their initial assessment of the damage, Irish Aid is also prioritising basic relief items, safe drinking water, and temporary shelter in their relief efforts. On August 28, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond TD, announced €500,000 in emergency funding for Nepal.
Announcing the funding, Minister Richmond said, “Ireland has a proud history of responding to need when disasters strike…the funding announced today will support the IFRC and the Nepalese Red Cross as they deliver life-saving support to those affected.”
Additionally, the Good Shepherd Sisters, supported by Misean Cara funding, are working to assess the situation in Nepal. The Good Shepherd International Foundation Nepal team joined an emergency planning meeting organised by the Social Welfare Council and the Association of International NGOs in Nepal to discuss emergency response to the crisis.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the Good Shepherd Sisters reported that their sisters and partners-in-mission are safe, and that “the communities where we work have not been directly affected.”
“We are deeply saddened to see Nepal once again facing such devastating loss, with communities bearing the consequences of increasingly severe climate-related disasters.”