The UAE Search and Rescue Team has recovered six missing persons as it intensifies field operations in Nepal’s Rasuwa district following devastating floods and landslides, the Emirates News Agency reported. The team is deploying drones for aerial surveys, three-dimensional mapping and advanced detection equipment to accelerate searches in hard-to-reach areas. WAM noted that these efforts are conducted in full coordination with Nepalese authorities to locate additional missing individuals and deliver immediate aid. The operation forms part of a broader UAE humanitarian response that includes substantial relief supplies.
Nepal’s disaster authority placed the overall death toll at 1,357 with 5,326 people still missing nearly two weeks after the August 26 glacier collapse and flood event, according to figures cited by multiple regional outlets. The UAE has dispatched four relief aircraft carrying 186 tonnes of humanitarian supplies including food, tents, generators and medical equipment while committing a $10 million aid package directed by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. A specialised contingent from Dubai Police has joined the mission, bringing technical resources to support both rescue and assessment activities across affected zones.
According to the Emirates News Agency, the UAE team is focusing on ground surveys combined with aerial imaging to map destruction and identify priority search locations in coordination with local teams. Hammoud Al Afari, Director of UAE Relief Operations, said the Emirati units are deploying all available resources under challenging conditions to locate missing persons and evaluate further needs. The statement distributed by WAM added that these actions underscore the UAE’s commitment to assisting communities impacted by natural disasters worldwide.
United Nations assessments have highlighted how climate-driven events in the Himalayan region have increased the frequency and severity of such floods, displacing tens of thousands and destroying critical infrastructure including bridges and hospitals. The UAE response also involves procurement of additional supplies from the Nepalese market to speed delivery to survivors, WAM reported. This integrated approach combines immediate search efforts with longer-term relief to address both urgent humanitarian gaps and recovery requirements.
The UAE Search and Rescue Team continues to expand its reach in Rasuwa while a separate Dubai Police unit provides complementary expertise in victim location and site assessment, according to official updates. WAM data shows that the combined UAE air bridge has delivered essential items to thousands of displaced residents since the initial deployment in early September. Ongoing collaboration with Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs ensures that operations align with national priorities for rescue and rehabilitation.
A statement carried by the Emirates News Agency quoted Al Afari emphasising sustained support, noting that the team is harnessing all capabilities to provide humanitarian assistance in difficult terrain. The mission has already facilitated access to isolated communities where entire neighbourhoods were buried under mud and debris. UAE officials have indicated that further flights and resources remain on standby as assessments of the full scale of destruction continue.
