New York GoFundMe Campaign Sends $5,954 to Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund
A Khasokhas and NepYork initiative encouraging direct donations to Nepal’s official disaster-relief fund is displayed at a local business in Jackson Heights, Queens. The campaign urges community members to use verified government donation channels and avoid unverified accounts or intermediaries. Photo: Deepak Pariyar/NepYork
NEW YORK — A joint online fundraising effort led by community groups in New York has transferred $5,954 directly to Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund to assist victims of recent devastating floods, organizers announced Sunday. As of 9 a.m. Aug. 31, Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported 903 human casualties, 4,247 people missing and 10,451 people rescued in connection with the disaster.
The initiative — spearheaded by Dari Club USA, NY Nepali Kaam Post and organizer Lelin Kandel — was launched after catastrophic flooding along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli rivers displaced hundreds of families and destroyed critical infrastructure across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha districts.
The GoFundMe campaign initially raised $6,160. After $206.65 in platform transaction fees was deducted, the remaining balance was processed for direct deposit into the government relief account at Global IME Bank under Nepal’s Prime Minister’s Office.
Kandel, who shared transaction documentation online, said Remitly receipts show that the transfer, totaling 901,792.84 Nepali rupees, was submitted Aug. 30 and is expected to arrive in Nepal by Sept. 3.
Organizers initially created the GoFundMe campaign to address payment-processing challenges faced by members of the Nepali diaspora who were unable to transfer money directly to Nepali bank accounts. However, after the Nepal government simplified procedures for international donations, organizers paused the campaign to avoid duplication and directed future donors to official channels.
“Since the Nepal government has now made it easier for those abroad to contribute, we have stopped this GoFundMe campaign,” Kandel said in an earlier announcement, pledging full transparency and encouraging continued aid through official government channels.
Organizers expressed gratitude to all donors, saying community support remains critical as relief agencies work to provide immediate shelter, medical care and food to families affected by floods across Nepal.
Khasokhas, NepYork Promote Direct Donations in Jackson Heights
As the fundraising effort continues, Nepali community media outlets Khasokhas and NepYork have taken their campaign to the streets of Jackson Heights, Queens, urging members of the Nepali diaspora to donate directly to the Government of Nepal’s official Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
The initiative was launched amid concerns that unauthorized actors, intermediaries and unverified accounts could emerge during the crisis and potentially misdirect donations.
“We live in New York. The disaster is in Nepal. Give directly,” the campaign message states.
Khasokhas and NepYork distributed and displayed posters featuring the official QR code for the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund at businesses and other community locations in Jackson Heights. The campaign encouraged donors to bypass intermediaries and use the government’s designated donation channel.
The outreach quickly expanded beyond Jackson Heights, according to organizers. More than two dozen Queens businesses agreed to display the QR code in their storefronts, helping direct community members to the official donation channel.
The campaign was designed to promote transparency and ensure donations reach the government’s designated disaster-relief fund without being routed through unverified individuals or organizations.
The outlets have also made printable versions of the campaign posters available so that community members, businesses and organizations can display them in storefronts, offices, community centers and other public spaces. The materials can also be shared through social media and messaging platforms to help donors identify the official donation channel.
The initiative’s central message is simple: Donate directly to Nepal’s official disaster-relief fund and avoid unverified accounts and unnecessary intermediaries.
“We are with you, Nepal,” the initiative states.
Nepal Embassy Urges Diaspora to Use Official Relief Channels
The Embassy of Nepal in Washington, D.C., has also appealed to Nepalis in the United States and other supporters of Nepal to contribute to official government relief funds for victims of the Bhote Koshi floods.
In an appeal issued Aug. 28, the embassy expressed condolences over the loss of lives and property caused by the Aug. 26 flooding in Rasuwa. It said the disaster had severely affected communities in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha and other areas.
The embassy said the Government of Nepal has prioritized search-and-rescue operations, relief, safe evacuation, rehabilitation and emergency response efforts. It urged Nepalis living in the United States, Nepali diaspora organizations, businesses, philanthropists, and American and international organizations and friends of Nepal to contribute according to their capacity.
The embassy identified two official online donation channels: the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund and the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
The embassy specifically urged donors to use only official relief funds, bank accounts, QR codes and other verified channels designated by the Government of Nepal.
It also advised donors to verify the authenticity of bank accounts and QR codes before making contributions and to confirm the account-holder name against information published through official government sources. Among the account names donors were advised to verify are “PRIME MINISTER DISASTER RELIEF FUND” and “DISASTER RELIEF FUND.”
“Every contribution, large or small, is meaningful,” the embassy said.