OTTAWA – The Canadian federal government has deployed 10 officials to Nepal, including a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), to assist Canadians affected by recent devastating flooding. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand announced this support on Monday, emphasizing the priority of locating missing Canadians and providing help to their families.
In her statement shared via social media, Anand expressed the government's commitment to ensuring the safety of Canadians and permanent residents affected by the situation. The catastrophic flash flooding has resulted in approximately 800 fatalities and left about 3,000 individuals unaccounted for, following a glacier collapse in the Himalayan border region that lies between Nepal and China.
On Saturday, Minister Anand confirmed that one Canadian, previously reported missing, had been located and was safe. However, as of Monday, she updated that 30 Canadians and permanent residents remain unaccounted for—a figure that may change as additional information becomes available.
Anand acknowledged the profound emotional toll that the flooding has inflicted on families and communities across Canada. “We recognize with empathy the profound impact that this situation is having on families and communities across our country,” she stated. She highlighted the government's efforts to maintain direct communication with all affected families through designated points of contact and through a collective meeting that took place on the same day.
In response to the crisis, the Canadian government announced a commitment of $5 million in urgent humanitarian aid to assist Nepal. Global Affairs Canada revealed that officials are actively engaging with various stakeholders, including trekking companies, hospitals, local police, rescue centers, airlines, and other partners within the Canadian travel industry, to gather intelligence and help account for affected Canadians.
Among the Canadian officials on the ground in Kathmandu is the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada to India, who is collaborating with Nepalese and Chinese authorities, in addition to international partners such as the Five Eyes alliance, France, Japan, Italy, and Singapore, to exchange information and enhance efforts aimed at locating and assisting Canadians.
The RCMP has also taken measures to enhance support, dispatching a liaison officer to Nepal to assess the requirements for on-the-ground assistance. Furthermore, the RCMP is leveraging the INTERPOL network and has provided support in terms of forensic equipment and expertise to aid in the situation.
Due to the extensive damage from the floods and mudslides, and the continuing risk of further flooding, Canada updated its travel advisory for Nepal and China, now urging Canadian travelers against non-essential travel to the affected areas.
