Australia's Nepali community is preparing to hold vigils to honor the victims of the Nepal-Tibet flood disaster, coinciding with a national day of mourning, as the death toll continues to climb. With 469 confirmed dead and over 1,300 missing, according to Nepal police on Friday, the diaspora is grappling with the scale of the tragedy while waiting for news of missing loved ones.
Community response and vigils
On Thursday night, Nepali Australians gathered for candlelight prayers in Sydney's Rockdale and Melbourne, holding a minute's silence for the flood victims. Dr. Tilak Pokhrel, president of the Australian Nepalese Multicultural Centre (ANMC), said community organizations in Victoria would host a vigil once the Nepali government announces the official day of mourning. "Community members just want to say we are with you for those who are affected," he said. "We want to have an event where we all can gather, and show our solidarity to support them … let's work together, let's pray together, and let's go through this pain together."
Pokhrel added that the ANMC would extend its opening hours over the coming days to allow faith leaders to offer support. "People are waiting for the news. They are checking the news every hour," he said.
Support for missing relatives
Chudamani Sapkota, general secretary of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, said its NSW branch would hold a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening in Sydney. "This is devastating news for all the Nepalese diaspora," he said. The organization is helping Nepali Australians locate missing relatives, though communication remains a challenge. "There's no network, nothing at the moment," Sapkota noted. "This is a very tough time."
Tenzin Khangsar, co-chair of the Australia Tibet Council, said the Tibetan community was "shocked and devastated" by the flooding, with prayer events planned to commemorate the victims.
Fundraising efforts
Diaspora organizations are also crowdfunding for the Nepali government's disaster relief fund. Chiran Tiwari, president of the Nepalese Welfare Society in Sydney, said the group had created a GoFundMe page to raise money for the Nepali Prime Minister's Natural Disaster Relief Fund. Tiwari mentioned that a relative of one of the society's executive members was missing in Nepal, and the community was rallying to provide support. "The situation is very sad for the community," he said. "Everyone's eyes is tearing so the situation is very difficult."
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong confirmed on Friday that the number of Australians missing in the floods had risen to 39, and announced a $5 million support package. She directed Australians wishing to donate to the Emergency Action Alliance website, a coalition of Australian charities and humanitarian organizations.
