Nepal moves to amend laws to facilitate death registration of 5,285 still missing after August 26 floods
The Nepalese government is fast-tracking legal amendments to allow for the death registration of over 5,000 people still missing following devastating floods in August 2026. These changes aim to help families access essential relief, compensation, and legal benefits that were previously inaccessible due to strict civil code requirements.
Why it matters
This legislative action is critical for the financial and legal recovery of thousands of families affected by a major natural disaster.
Nepal is preparing to amend two laws to facilitate the death registration of 5,285 people who remain missing after the devastating August 26 floods, allowing their families to access relief, compensation and other legal benefits, officials said.
The move comes two days after the government ended the 40-day search and rescue operation for victims of the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods, which killed at least 1,455 people and left 5,285 missing, according to revised figures shared by Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
The government is preparing amendments to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act and the National Identity Card and Registration Act to address difficulties faced by families of missing people in registering their deaths, according to officials at a parliamentary special committee meeting held on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).
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