Prime Minister Balendra Shah held a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in New York on Friday, with the Australian leader expressing solidarity with Nepal as it recovers from the devastating Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, as Shah placed the flood disaster at the centre of his address to world leaders.

Albanese said he offered Australia’s deepest sympathies to those affected by the disaster and briefed Shah on Australia’s assistance to Nepal. “As Nepal recovers from catastrophic floods and devastation, Australia stands with its people as they rebuild and grieve,” Albanese said in a post on Facebook on Friday.

He also expressed sympathy to the families and loved ones of Australians still missing following the disaster. “Our thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of those Australians who are still missing,” Albanese said. “We’ll keep working with Nepal to get help where it’s needed most.”

Australia has provided humanitarian assistance and search and recovery support following the floods. 

Prime Minister Shah used his UN address on Friday to argue that the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster should be seen as a warning about the growing climate risks facing the Himalayas. He said Nepal had suffered at least 1,400 confirmed deaths and more than 6,000 people remained missing, while rapid assessments put physical recovery needs at about 10 percent of GDP.

He also proposed a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism involving Nepal, India and China to share satellite data and expertise, monitor dangerous glacial lakes, strengthen early-warning systems and coordinate assistance across borders.

Shah called for greater grant-based climate finance for vulnerable countries, arguing that countries facing climate disasters should not have to take on more debt to rebuild infrastructure and livelihoods damaged by a crisis they contributed little to causing.