European Union brings relief to people affected by the drought in Nepal

Kathmandu, 21 August 2025 – In response to the current drought situation affecting around 1.2 million people in Nepal, the European Union is providing € 200 000 [over 32 million NPR] in humanitarian funding to assist the most affected people.

This EU funding supports the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), with IFRC support, in delivering much needed relief assistance, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities, such as water trucking, installation of deep tube wells, and health and hygiene. The humanitarian aid will directly benefit 60,000 people affected by the lack of rainfall.

The funding is part of the EU's overall contribution to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Two and a half months after the start of monsoon rains across the country, most of the Madhesh Province continues to suffer from a lack of rainfall. This has led to a critical shortage of drinking water, harming agriculture, sanitation, and people’s livelihoods. All 136 municipalities in the province have been declared drought-affected, threatening food security in Nepal’s main rice-growing region.

Background 

The European Union and its Member States are the world's leading donor of humanitarian aid. Relief assistance is an expression of European solidarity with people in need all around the world. It aims to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and safeguard the integrity and human dignity of populations affected by natural disasters and man-made crises. 

Through its Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, the European Union helps millions of victims of conflict and disasters every year. With headquarters in Brussels and a global network of field offices, the European Union provides assistance to the most vulnerable people on the basis of humanitarian needs.

The European Union is signatory to a €12 million humanitarian delegation agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation's Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). Funds from the IFRC-DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal. 

The Disaster Response Emergency Fund was established in 1979 and is supported by contributions from donors. Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors. The delegation agreement between the IFRC and ECHO enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit within its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €12 million.