More than 100 Nepali students at Hoseo University are far from home as Nepal reels from catastrophic flooding.
On Wednesday, they joined faculty members in launching a campaign to help survivors rebuild their lives.
“Nepal has suffered severe damage from sudden floods,” said Ajit Yadav, 24, president of the university’s Nepali Students’ Association. “Climate change is melting glaciers, and many precious lives have been lost as a result.”
“Nepal urgently needs greater attention and support from the international community.”
The university in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, launched the fundraising campaign under the slogan “Save Nepal, Save Us, Save Earth.” It will continue through early October.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the disaster, collect donations for affected communities and promote carbon neutrality.
“We hope the fundraising can move quickly because Nepal is in great need,” Yadav told The Korea Herald. “We are far from our country, but we are still Nepali.”
Yadav said anyone could participate regardless of nationality, stressing that the disaster should not be viewed as Nepal’s problem alone.
He said he hoped similar campaigns would emerge elsewhere and that people would come together to support one another when disasters strike.
The university is also working to determine whether any of its Nepali students or their families were affected by the flooding.
It plans to provide special scholarships to students whose families or hometowns suffered damage, helping them continue their studies despite the disaster.
As of Wednesday, the university had not confirmed any directly affected students. However, communications remained disrupted in parts of Nepal, meaning some students may not yet know the full extent of the damage to their families or communities.
The university said it was preparing for the possibility that more cases could emerge. The amount of scholarship support will be determined through a supplementary budget after it completes its assessment.
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