Flash Flood in Nepal: How You Can Help People in Rasuwa and Nuwakot Right Now

On the morning of August 26, 2026, a mass of rock and glacial ice broke away from the north face of Langtang Lirung at around 5,200 meters. Seismometers around the world recorded the event at 8:37 a.m. local time with a magnitude of 5.2. The debris flow plunged into the Lhende Khola, built into a flash flood along the Bhotekoshi, and raced roughly 72 kilometers down the Trishuli.

The districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot were hit hardest. Villages such as Timure, Rasuwagadhi, Syabrubesi and Trishuli Bazar were buried under mud and debris, and the Gyirong Port border crossing to Tibet was completely destroyed. According to Nepal's disaster management authority, as of August 31, 2026, 903 people have died and 4,247 are still missing. UNICEF estimates that at least 50,000 people are affected, including 17,000 children. Forty-one bridges and 42 kilometers of road have been damaged.

And that is exactly the problem. Many of the worst-hit settlements in Rasuwa can now only be reached by air, so large aid organizations are slow to arrive. At the same time, drinking water sources have been contaminated with sewage, and health experts are warning of cholera outbreaks.

We know that many people are already giving to large organizations. But in remote mountain districts like Rasuwa, that help tends to arrive late. Financial support that runs through personal contacts on the ground works immediately. The campaigns below were started by people with their own connections to Nepal. Your donation reaches them directly and can be put to use quickly.

Marc from Korschenbroich has traveled to Nepal twice and experienced a great deal of hospitality there. His guide Anil comes from the Langtang region and has been affected himself: 25 people from his village and his wider circle died in the flood, and the region's infrastructure is badly damaged. Marc is supporting Anil directly so that he can help people locally and take part in the rebuilding. Part of the donations goes to Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and Aktion Deutschland Hilft. He will publish the transfer receipts afterward so that it stays clear where the money goes. View campaign

🔔 Update: This campaign has already passed its goal by a wide margin and is still collecting. Every additional euro continues to reach people on the ground.

Stefanie from Woltersdorf runs a small business that has worked with Nepalese artisans for 14 years. The mudslide hit the very people she has been in contact with for all that time. In mid-September she is flying to Nepal herself to hand over the donations in person. That way it stays clear where the money ends up. View campaign

Mahima lives in Berlin and has started a community-led fundraiser together with a handful of others. The idea: bring together 50 people from their own circles who each give what they can, whether that is 10 or 100 euros. The group is currently looking into which local grassroots organizations in Nepal are working directly in emergency relief, and will decide together how to distribute the money. The campaign is deliberately running for a short time only and will close afterward. View campaign

Nepalese rupees go considerably further on the ground than euros do in Germany. What people in Rasuwa and Nuwakot need over the coming weeks and months is manageable and concrete:

Which of these needs comes first is decided by the people on the ground.

Whether it is emergency relief after a disaster, support for someone facing a personal crisis, or a cause in your own neighborhood: on GoodCrowd.org you can start a campaign in a few minutes. Free of charge, and you do not need to be a registered organization. What counts is your personal connection to what you are raising money for. That is what convinces people to give.

If you still have questions beforehand, from planning and writing to the legal and tax side of things, our guide Raising donations as a private individual walks you through it step by step.

Create campaign

Why should I start my own campaign instead of donating to a large organization?
Large aid organizations do important work, but they need time to reach remote mountain villages. Raising money for personal contacts on the ground leaves the decisions to the people who know the situation best: they do the buying themselves and take it where it is missing.

I do not know anyone personally in the affected areas. Can I still help?
Yes. You can support the existing campaigns, for example Marc's or Stefanie's. Sharing a campaign in your own network also helps enormously, since most donations come through personal recommendations.

How do I know the money actually arrives?
At GoodCrowd, donations go straight to the campaign starters with no intermediary. Many of them report on how the money is used in their updates. Marc publishes the transfer receipts, and Stefanie hands the money over in person during her trip.

Who can start a campaign?
Anyone resident in Germany or Austria, regardless of nationality. You do not need to be an association or an organization.

What does it cost me to start a campaign?
Nothing. Setting up a campaign is free and there is no base fee. Only the payment providers' fees are deducted from the donations. The platform itself is funded by voluntary co-donations from donors.

How quickly does the money reach me?
Donations do not pass through GoodCrowd. They go straight from the payment provider to your account. Depending on the payment method, the money is available to you immediately or within a few days.

How much should I set as my fundraising goal?
A realistic goal you can actually reach beats a very high one. Campaigns that meet their target are more convincing to new donors.

Can I edit my campaign afterward?
You can change the title and the campaign description for as long as no donation has come in. After that they are fixed, so donors can rely on what they gave to. The fundraising goal, on the other hand, can be adjusted at any time. If you raise it, explain why in an update so that it stays clear why more is needed now.

How do I keep my supporters informed?
Through the updates feature, which is available at any time. Rebuilding in Nepal will take months before results are visible. Regular updates with photos or receipts keep your campaign alive during that period.

Are my donations tax deductible? 
No. Donations made through GoodCrowd are not donations in the legal sense, because they go to private individuals rather than to a registered charity. A donation receipt therefore cannot be issued.