PUBLISHED ONAugust 31, 2026 9:45 AMBYSean LerSingapore is deploying a specialist Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team from the police to assist in the identification of dead bodies in Nepal after deadly floods tore through the Nepal-China border on Aug 26.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Monday (Aug 31) afternoon that the deployment is in line with the Nepal government's request.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Kathmandu needs foreign help in technical areas such as rescuing people stuck in tunnels, identification of dead bodies and DNA testing.
Singapore's deployment of personnel was conveyed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan when he spoke with his Nepali counterpart.
Dr Balakrishnan extended Singapore's condolences to Nepal following the deadly flash flood along the Nepal-China border on Aug 26 and commended the Nepal government's disaster relief efforts.
He also expressed appreciation for the Nepal government's assistance in the search for missing Singaporeans.
In addition to the deployment of a DVI team, Dr Balakrishnan also told his counterpart that the Singapore Government will send humanitarian assistance comprising both civilian and Singapore Armed Forces supplies to Nepal.
According to MFA, this tranche of humanitarian assistance is on top of the US$100,000 (S$127,000) contribution to the Singapore Red Cross' public fundraising, which has raised around $1 million to date.
Providing an update on consular assistance efforts for Singaporeans affected by the floods, MFA said that the ministry's Crisis Response Team was deployed on Aug 27 — a day after floods struck — and that it will continue to work closely with the Nepal government on the provision of Singapore's humanitarian assistance.
A total of nine Singaporeans are reported as missing in an update provided by the Nepal Tourism Board on Aug 27.
The unprecedented deluge of ice, rock, mud and debris on the Nepal-China border on Aug 26 — blamed on a glacier collapse — has killed more than 900 people and nearly 5,000 are still listed as missing.
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