Khanna, Krishnamoorthi, Subramanyam Urge Secretary Rubio to Strengthen U.S. Response to Catastrophic Floods in Nepal
WASHINGTON – On Friday, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), alongside Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), led 27 of their colleagues in a letter to Secretary Rubio urging him to use every available resource to support search-and-rescue efforts following the catastrophic flash floods in northern Nepal and to ensure the safety and recovery of American citizens and others affected by the disaster.
As of September 4, the death toll of these flash floods has surpassed 1,300 people and at least 4,000 people remain missing, including at least 75 U.S. citizens.
“We support the Department’s announcement of $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services to support emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance, as well as the $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance announced on August 29,” the lawmakers write. “Nonetheless, given the unprecedented loss of life and countless missing persons, we urge the Department to do much more.
The lawmakers requested the State Department:
- Provide daily updates to family members of those missing and to Congress as rescue efforts continue.
- Deploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to flood-affected communities.
- Coordinate with the interagency and private sector to utilize high-altitude assets and thermal/infrared drones to search for missing persons and share aerial imagery with partners.
- Engage Nepali and PRC disaster authorities and international partners to ensure full coverage and access across search areas.
- Ensure rapid delivery of disaster assistance and provide additional reconstruction.
Full text of the letter is available here.