As he chastises UN officials over climate change, Nepal’s PM claims that the flash flood was a “message to the world.”

The prime minister of Nepal chastised international leaders at the UN on Thursday, claiming that the tragic flood that occurred last month served as a reminder that those who did not cause the disaster continue to suffer as a result of climate change.

The disaster “was a warning to the world,” Balendra Shah told the general assembly. “And I ask you today: Have you really heard that warning?” Scientists from around the world have linked the instability of the glacier, which partially collapsed and created a huge flood that killed at least 1,400 people, to melting permafrost brought on by climate change linked to the combustion of coal, oil, and gas.

Less than 1% of the heat-trapping gasses responsible for climate change, according to Shah, came from Nepal. “We did not create this crisis, yet we are paying a colossal price for it,” said Shah, 36, a former rapper and engineer, who wore a traditional Nepali hat and dark sunglasses, which he uses for medical reasons.

Shah stated that after the flood four weeks ago, Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction needs were projected to be around 10% of GDP, and he contended that vulnerable nations shouldn’t be made to take on more debt in order to recover from catastrophic climate occurrences. He called for an immediate Himalayan structure to exchange satellite data, monitor glacier lakes, bolster early-warning systems, and coordinate cross-border catastrophe responses in order to promote greater climate resilience cooperation between China, India, and Nepal.

Shah described the financial aid system as insufficient and overly bureaucratic, but he did not request a specific amount of foreign aid. The flood, according to the Nepalese leader, destroyed homes, schools, bridges, highways, and livelihoods, halting Nepal’s progress toward development.

More than 6,000 individuals were remained missing in the area weeks later, and search and recovery efforts were still ongoing. Many of them might never be found, according to Shah.

Up to $170 million in emergency funding was made available by the World Bank earlier this week to assist Nepal in responding to the calamity and starting recovery operations.

According to the Global Carbon Project, a team of scientists that monitors greenhouse gas emissions, the US has released around 1,500 times more carbon into the atmosphere over the previous 75 years than Nepal. This week, the US announced $31 million in flood relief funding for Nepal, bringing the total amount of US financial assistance to $36 million.

Shisir Khanal, Nepal’s foreign minister, said Wednesday at the UN climate summit: “What happened in Nepal is not an isolated disaster but a preview of what awaits many vulnerable nations.”