Ripple commits $300,000 to Nepal and Tibet flood relief as glacier-linked disaster wreaks havoc San Francisco-based Ripple on Aug. 29 pledged $300,000 to support emergency relief after catastrophic floods that struck Nepal and China’s Tibet region. The donation will be split between World Central Kitchen (WCK) and Mercy Corps, organizations already on the ground providing meals, clean water and sanitation support to affected communities. How the funds will be used - World Central Kitchen: distributing hot meals through local restaurant partners in hardest-hit districts such as Rasuwa and Nuwakot, and expanding relief teams on site. - Mercy Corps: coordinating water, sanitation and broader humanitarian services with local authorities and partner groups. Mercy Corps has operated in Nepal since 2005 and has extensive disaster-response and preparedness experience. Disaster toll and humanitarian needs Authorities reported the death toll had reached roughly 750 by Sunday morning, with more than 3,000 people still missing across Nepal and Tibet. Nepal’s latest figures showed 734 deaths and 2,498 missing; Tibet’s Gyirong County reported 16 deaths and 546 missing. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimated over 90,000 people affected. Roads, bridges, power systems and entire settlements were damaged or destroyed, complicating deliveries of food, water and emergency aid. Cause and operational challenges Scientists linked the disaster to a glacier collapse on Aug. 26 that released ice, rock, mud and debris into mountain rivers, producing a sudden torrent that devastated communities on both sides of the Nepal-China border. WCK described an ice-rock avalanche that briefly dammed the Lhende Khola River before a destructive surge swept downstream, damaging villages and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli corridors. Rescue operations have been repeatedly hampered by ongoing rain, rising water and lakes formed behind landslide debris; drones have since identified additional natural dams and downstream pools. International response and requests Nepal requested international assistance for tunnel rescue operations, forensic identification, DNA testing and storage of recovered bodies. Hundreds of workers were believed trapped inside damaged hydropower tunnels, further intensifying urgent rescue and recovery needs. Ripple’s humanitarian footprint and blockchain ties Ripple has an established history of disaster-related giving and blockchain-enabled humanitarian pilots. The company has supported World Central Kitchen since 2020 and has partnered with Mercy Corps on projects that explored blockchain-based humanitarian finance. Ripple previously used RLUSD and smart contracts for drought-relief payments in Kenya, programming automatic disbursements tied to satellite-detected drought conditions. Between 2018 and the end of 2024, Ripple reported more than $200 million in charitable donations. Payment method not disclosed Ripple’s announcement specified a $300,000 contribution but did not state whether the funds were sent as fiat, XRP, RLUSD or another crypto instrument. How to help World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps continue to accept public donations via their official websites as emergency response efforts continue. Neither organization has announced an end date for their relief operations. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news