North Texas families with ties to Nepal are banding together after catastrophic flooding in the Himalayan nation left thousands missing. The disaster, which has claimed thousands of lives and left an estimated 2,000 people unaccounted for, has hit close to home for members of the local Nepalese community.
Missing loved ones
Among those feared missing are a Plano couple, whose relative Sushil Ahuja said, “My first reaction was that it cannot be true.” In Murphy, longtime residents Archana Suresh and Raghu Rajan, married for 25 years, were scheduled to cross the China‑Nepal border on Wednesday morning when the floods struck. Their phones last pinged from the disaster zone that same morning.
Community response
Bijay Bhusal, president of the Nepalese Society of Texas, explained that the organization is working closely with the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu to help families locate and assist their relatives. “We are trying to coordinate their families with the U.S. Embassy in Nepal, in Kathmandu,” he said.
Secretary Prabis Stha added that the society is connecting affected families with local resources, including the Consular General in Dallas, to secure travel documents and other assistance.
Faith and tradition amid crisis
The floods have cast a somber shadow over the community’s annual Janai Purnima celebration, a festival when men and women change their sacred threads for health and prosperity. Bhusal noted that the event was cancelled as families turned their focus to prayer and relief.
“Please pray for God and pray for family, pray for community,” he urged, emphasizing the deep spiritual bond that ties the diaspora to their homeland.
Fundraising efforts
Local volunteers are gathering donations for the official Nepalese government and have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support those directly affected. “My heart is connected here, my blood is connected there, my soul is connected there,” Bhusal said, reflecting the shared commitment of North Texas residents to aid their brothers and sisters abroad.
How you can help
Those wishing to contribute can donate through the Nepalese Society of Texas’s GoFundMe page or contact the organization for information on other ways to assist, such as providing travel documents, clothing, or supplies for families preparing to travel to Nepal.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
