Nepal says post-flood reconstruction could total 'billions of dollars'

Nepal's reconstruction bill after devastating floods could run into "billions of dollars," Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Saturday, as authorities grapple with the scale of the destruction.

"The reconstruction and rehabilitation would entail perhaps billions of dollars," he told reporters in Kathmandu.

How much will Nepal's flood reconstruction cost?

Khanal said reconstruction and rehabilitation could run into billions of dollars, though the government has not yet finalised a figure. "We will do loss and damage research and then we plan, but I am reaching out to our international community for support," he said.

What is the current death toll from Nepal's floods?

Three days after the disaster, Khanal said "the urgency is on rescue and saving lives as much as we can," though the scale of the disaster was already stretching the government's capacity. Rescue teams have retrieved 626 bodies, and more than 2,426 people remain missing across Nepal.

Why is Nepal appealing for international help?

Khanal appealed for specialised international help to identify and preserve the bodies recovered so far. "We have reached out to our friends who can provide specific requirements, not only in the rescue," he said. "Hundreds of bodies have been found downstream, and there is a risk of fast decomposition because these bodies have been in water for a long time," he added.

"Our own healthcare capacity is very limited, to put these bodies in a frozen state for a long time," Khanal said. "So we've been asking to provide fridges until... we can locate the loved ones of these people who passed away in this disaster." The government is also considering bringing in "freezer trucks, like those where you can put perishable goods," he added.

What challenges does Nepal face in identifying flood victims?

Identifying the recovered bodies is another major challenge for authorities. "We need forensic capability," Khanal said. "DNA sampling, DNA testing and reporting, we have very limited forensic capability in Nepal."