ILO: Nepal's deadly flash floods threaten jobs and trade well beyond the disaster zone

1 October 2026

The International Labour Organization said in a preliminary assessment that Nepal's flash floods have severely disrupted employment and livelihoods. The catastrophic flooding in late August was triggered by a glacier collapse on the border with China. More than 1,450 people were killed and 5,786 are still missing, according to the authorities. The ILO estimates some 21,400 employed people live within four kilometres of the flood footprint. Two overland routes with China, Rasuwa and Tatopani, accounted for some 22 per cent of Nepal's imports from China over the past year.