Houston’s Nepalese Community Rallies to Raise Emergency Funds Following Catastrophic Nepal Glacier Collapse

Catastrophic flash flooding leaves a trail of destruction 

The backstory:

HOUSTON, Texas - As catastrophic flash flooding leaves a trail of destruction along the Nepal–China border, members of Houston’s Nepalese community are rallying from afar to mobilize emergency aid for victims and displaced families.

The disaster struck on Aug. 26 when a massive high-altitude glacier collapse and ice-rock avalanche tore through the Lhende Khola and Bhote Koshi river system. The resulting wall of water, mud, and debris swept away critical bridges, highways, and villages across several districts, including Rasuwa and Nuwakot, before swelling the Trishuli River downstream.

According to the Associated Press, the combined death toll in Nepal and Tibet has climbed near 700, with more than 3,000 people still reported missing. The destruction of key trade corridors and hydropower infrastructure has left remote mountain settlements isolated and hundreds of thousands without basic services.

Nepalese Association of Houston 

Local perspective:

At Kathmandu Curry and Bar in Houston, leaders of the Nepalese Association of Houston (NAH) gathered to coordinate local relief efforts and raise awareness for loved ones thousands of miles away.

Gyanshor Shrestha, President of the Nepalese Association of Houston, was in Nepal when the disaster unfolded.

"I found out I was trying to get lunch around 11 o'clock. We saw on the TV breaking news, keep flashing," Shrestha said. "I saw the glacier lake burst out... and there is a force, you can see 100 meters, like that, the waves. It's coming from the upper hill to the downward. It's scary to see that."

Shrestha was scheduled to fly back to Texas the same afternoon, watching live coverage up until he had to board his flight.

"It was so sad to leave in that situation, when people are dying, people are missing, and we don't know what's going to happen downstream to more small villages," Shrestha recalled. "As soon as I got here, we did a candlelight vigil for those who died... Nepal needs help now. Please help."

Aires Kheral, Vice President of the Nepalese Association of Houston, was at work in Texas when he first learned of the flash floods and immediately started checking on contacts back home.

"Every hour, worse and worse pictures came through," Kheral said. "There are hydropower projects on that river valley that have people who work in those places. We just tried to find out what happened."

Kheral noted that while the initial emergency response is taking place on the ground, long-term disaster recovery will require sustained international backing.

"Right now, the emergency is being taken care of locally. But there's a lot of work coming up—people have to rebuild, people have to find jobs, farms, roads, bridges," Kheral said. "So if we can focus on getting the funds together right now and send it to the right place, that would be a lot of help."

The collapse wiped out critical infrastructure along national transit corridors, severing cross-country routes and isolating key valley communities. Local leaders emphasize that the loss of life and geography destroyed by the wall of mud will impact the region for years.

"We know that some community members here have had relatives and farmland in the affected area, and somebody told me that they had lost their farm," Kheral said. "They're not going to get it back because that mountain is gone."

For members of the Greater Houston Nepalese community, the imagery brings back memories of past natural disasters, including major regional earthquakes and smaller flood events.

"Not even three years ago, in the same place, the same thing happened—but not on this large scale," Shrestha said.

Support relief operations

What you can do:

To support relief operations, the Nepalese Association of Houston—alongside the Creative Nepalese Society, Gulmi Samaj Houston, and the Greater Houston Nepalese Chamber of Commerce—has launched an official Emergency Relief Fund.

Community leaders urge Houstonians to assist by donating or sharing the verified fundraising campaign online:

Campaign: Nepal Flood Relief Emergency Fund

Organized By: Nepalese Association of Houston (NAH)

GoFundMe Link: http://gofund.me/4b9f44758

"At last, we request all the people, whoever can, open their wallet now," Shrestha said. "Nepal needs help now in the recovery process. Please spread that word to the entire community."