Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah is scheduled to address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, according to the UN’s official speaking schedule.

Shah is due to speak in the afternoon, in what would be his first foreign trip since taking office on March 27. His appearance at the annual gathering of world leaders comes as Nepal seeks international support following devastating floods that killed more than 1,300 people and left thousands missing.

The government had initially planned to send Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal to lead Nepal’s delegation to the General Assembly. The plan was revised after the August 26 disaster in Nepal’s northern Himalayan region, when floods triggered by a glacial collapse and landslide swept through communities along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors.

Government officials said Shah decided to attend in person to highlight the scale of the disaster and seek international assistance for rescue, relief and reconstruction.

The Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin preparations for the visit after Shah decided to lead the delegation.

Khanal is expected to arrive in New York ahead of Shah and hold bilateral meetings with foreign officials and participate in other high-level engagements on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Shah’s delegation is expected to be small and his visit brief, with limited engagements beyond his General Assembly address and a few high-level meetings, according to foreign ministry officials.

The UN General Assembly, where all 193 member states are represented, holds its annual high-level general debate each September, bringing together heads of state and government and other senior officials. Nepal has regularly used the gathering to raise issues including climate change, mountain ecosystems and the needs of vulnerable developing countries.

The disaster is expected to add urgency to Nepal’s calls for international support, particularly for recovery and reconstruction in areas hit by the floods.