By Dr Ramil Adhikari | Upper Hutt, New Zealand Tourism Ambassador for Pokhara Metropolitan City to New Zealand and the Oceania Region

For many people in New Zealand, the devastating floods and landslides along the Nepal–Tibet border are not a distant tragedy. They are being felt deeply across Aotearoa, particularly among the Nepalese community, families with connections to Nepal, and New Zealanders who have travelled through or formed lasting relationships with the Himalayan nation.

Nepal and New Zealand may be separated by thousands of kilometres, but the relationship between the two countries is built on much more than geography. It is a relationship shaped by friendship, tourism, education, community connections and the remarkable legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary and the people of Nepal. Today, as families wait anxiously for news of loved ones, that connection has taken on an even more painful meaning.

The disaster began on Wednesday when a powerful surge of mud, water and debris swept through areas near the Nepal–Tibet border. What was initially thought to be an earthquake was later assessed by the US Geological Survey as being associated with a glacial collapse, which triggered catastrophic downstream impacts.

Buildings, roads and vehicles were swept away as the wall of water and debris moved rapidly through the affected areas. Rescue operations were launched, involving Nepalese security personnel, civilian responders and teams working to reach isolated communities and travellers.

According to the latest figures provided by Nepalese authorities, 389 people have died in Nepal, while around 910 people remain missing including 5 New Zealanders and 39 Australians. Those missing include hundreds of foreign nationals, as well as members of the Nepal Army and Nepal Police.

Across the border in Tibet, Chinese authorities have reported three confirmed deaths and 558 people missing, including foreign nationals. The figures reported by Nepal and China may not directly overlap, and authorities continue to assess the situation.

The tragedy has also created another serious concern. A new body of rising water has reportedly formed near the China–Nepal border, close to the Gyirong area. With continued rainfall, authorities are concerned that the water could breach its banks, potentially creating another dangerous flood.

For the Nepalese community in New Zealand, these numbers are more than statistics.

Behind every missing person is a family waiting for a phone call. Behind every number is a human life, a friendship and a story. Many people in Aotearoa have relatives, friends, colleagues or community connections in Nepal. Some New Zealanders have visited Nepal, trekked through its mountains, experienced its hospitality or built lifelong friendships there.

The pain is therefore being shared across communities in both countries.

New Zealand has a particularly special connection with Nepal. The enduring friendship established through Sir Edmund Hillary’s work with the Sherpa people and the Himalayan community remains part of the relationship between the two nations. Generations later, Nepalese families have made New Zealand their home while continuing to maintain strong connections with their homeland.

In Upper Hutt and other parts of Aotearoa, Nepalese community members are watching the unfolding situation with heavy hearts, hoping for good news from the search and rescue operations.

As rescuers continue their difficult work amid unstable terrain, rainfall and the threat of further flooding, the thoughts of many in New Zealand are with the people of Nepal and Tibet, the families of those who have died, and everyone still waiting for news of loved ones.

From Aotearoa to the Himalayas, this tragedy reminds us that distance cannot separate people who are connected by friendship, family, culture and shared humanity.

Images & information by: Nayapress Nepal

A “thank you” to Ramil Adhikari for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

29/08/26

This article was put up in sympathy for those in Nepal who are suffering from the natural disaster, and those who are thinking of them in Upper Hutt, and in New Zealand. International articles aren’t usually part of The Upper Hutt Connection, and are included at the editor’s discretion.