44 Least Developed Countries Demand Climate Finance Ahead of COP31

A coalition of 44 of the world's least developed countries has demanded urgent climate finance and action ahead of the upcoming COP31 summit, citing the catastrophic floods in Nepal as a stark example of the climate crisis facing vulnerable nations. The call came during a ministerial meeting in Dili, Timor-Leste, from September 1 to 3, where leaders adopted a declaration framing the Nepal disaster as a climate-induced event requiring immediate international response. The floods, triggered by a glacial and bedrock collapse on the China-Nepal border on August 26, have killed more than 1,200 people and left over 4,750 missing in Nepal and Tibet. The disaster has prompted Nepal to shift its diplomatic stance, with Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal urging major emitters to provide "climate compensation" rather than aid. "This is not about asking for aid; it is about the obligation of large nations," Khanal stated, adding that Nepal will pursue the issue as a matter of justice in the international arena.