‘Lots of my friends are missing’: fears and prayers as Australia’s Nepali diaspora desperately seek answers after flood
Guardian AU
•Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:31 GMT
📰 What Happened
With close to 1,300 people missing and at least 389 dead in Nepal and Tibet after the avalanche-triggered flood, thousands of Nepali-Australians scrambled overnight to check on their loved ones. Suman Shrestha, who moved to Australia from Kathmandu in 2017, said many of his friends were missing and that communications with the affected area have cut off. Some in the community heard from family who had got to higher ground, while others could only pray for news. Australia is home to a corps of roughly 210,000 people born in Nepal, with at least 35 Australians among the missing.
🔍 The Backstory
Nepal has a significant overseas population, and many Nepali-born Australians keep up strong ties to family and friends at home. The flash flood struck at the border in the middle of the trekking and pilgrimage season and cut off transport and local telephones, oft held whole areas. When official the telecommunication silence, families in Australia turn to social media and informal networks for any scrapes of information. This makes the diaspora a vital and anxious channel of communication during a disaster.
🎯 Why It Matters
The story puts human faces on the disaster's awful statistics and shows how closely the event affects families in Australia, not just those in Nepal. It underlines how a large diaspora community remains connected to the grief and relief of the aid effort. It also demonstrates that family and community network are vital when official capacity is limited. As the official figures change, the people in these communities remain bound together by shared fear and hope.
With close to 1,300 people missing and at least 389 dead in Nepal and Tibet after the avalanche-triggered flood, thousands of Nepali-Australians scrambled overnight to check on their loved ones. Suman Shrestha, who moved to Australia from Kathmandu in 2017, said many of his friends were missing and that communications with the affected area have cut off. Some in the community heard from family who had got to higher ground, while others could only pray for news. Australia is home to a corps of roughly 210,000 people born in Nepal, with at least 35 Australians among the missing.
Nepal has a significant overseas population, and many Nepali-born Australians keep up strong ties to family and friends at home. The flash flood struck at the border in the middle of the trekking and pilgrimage season and cut off transport and local telephones, oft held whole areas. When official the telecommunication silence, families in Australia turn to social media and informal networks for any scrapes of information. This makes the diaspora a vital and anxious channel of communication during a disaster.
The story puts human faces on the disaster's awful statistics and shows how closely the event affects families in Australia, not just those in Nepal. It underlines how a large diaspora community remains connected to the grief and relief of the aid effort. It also demonstrates that family and community network are vital when official capacity is limited. As the official figures change, the people in these communities remain bound together by shared fear and hope.