The Hon Dr Anne Aly MP, Minister for International Development, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Multicultural Affairs
Foreign Minister Penny Wong will today welcome Nepali Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal to Melbourne.
The Ministers will discuss Nepal’s recovery and rebuilding following the devastating floods, ongoing efforts to seek information about missing Australians, and our broader bilateral relationship.
The Nepal-Australia relationship is underpinned by strong education, development and people-to-people links, with more than 200,000 people of Nepali heritage calling Australia home.
The Albanese Government will provide a further $15 million to support Nepal’s recovery from the floods and strengthen its resilience to future disasters.
The additional funding will help rebuild destroyed infrastructure, restore access to essential services, and strengthen early warning systems to reduce the risk and impact of future floods.
This assistance builds on the $11 million Australia has already provided to support immediate response efforts. This includes support for emergency humanitarian relief via Australian NGOs, the World Food Programme and other organisations working on the ground, as well as specialist drone support for Nepal's search and rescue effort.
Australians have also responded with great generosity, donating more than $20 million since 26 August to appeals by the Emergency Action Alliance, the Red Cross and other major Australian NGOs.
Australian officials are continuing to work closely with authorities in Nepal and China to seek information about the 34 Australians who remain unaccounted for, and to support their families.
We know this is a tremendously difficult time for the families and loved ones of the Australians who remain unaccounted for.
Dedicated liaison officers from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Federal Police are in close contact with the families, providing regular updates and assistance.
Australia will continue to support Nepal’s recovery, work with authorities to seek information about missing Australians, and stand with affected families and communities.