The United Nations’ climate loss and damage fund moved to provide US$20 million in aid sought by flood-stricken Nepal – the first time it has set aside money for any country – in a key test of the body’s credibility.
In an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, the fund’s board agreed to earmark the modest sum for the Himalayan country, which was hit in August by tsunami-like floods triggered by a climate-induced ice and rock avalanche that killed more than 1,400 people and left over 5,000 missing.
Camila Minerva Rodriguez Tavarez, the Dominican co-chair of the board, called the outcome “truly historic” and thanked members for “allowing us to act promptly and have a response to Nepal”.