Humanitarian aid urgently needed in flood-hit Nepal: UN official

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nepal, Lila Pieters Yahia, said on Friday that around 40km of road was completely destroyed by the massive mudslide in Nepal on Wednesday, and humanitarian assistance is urgently needed in the disaster-hit areas.

Yahia, who visited the disaster zone on the same day before briefing the latest situations to the UN, stated that the search and rescue effort was ongoing. Her visit was cut short after a renewed flood alert was issued.

David Fisher, head of the delegation for Nepal of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) stated on Friday that at least 93,000 people have been affected and are in great need.

The United Nations Children's Fund reported on the same day that 18 schools have been completely destroyed and another 20 have been damaged, with around 10,000 school-aged children in the area impacted.

Meteorological authorities predict that further rainfall is possible in northern Nepal in the coming days, which may further impact road access, pose greater challenges to rescue efforts, and could potentially increase the number of casualties.

The massive flash flood swept through Nepal's Bhote Koshi River Wednesday morning, affecting three districts, Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading, and causing widespread damage, officials said.

A total of 626 bodies had been recovered from mudslide-hit areas in Nepal as of 10:00 local time on Saturday, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority of the country.

In the latest report, the authority said that 2,426 people were still missing as of the same time.

Humanitarian aid urgently needed in flood-hit Nepal: UN official

The U.S. consumer sentiment in August fell about 6 percent from July and about 11 percent from a year ago as inflation concerns persisted, a survey showed Friday.

The Index of Consumer Sentiment released by the University of Michigan (UM) Surveys of Consumers slipped to 51.7 in the August 2026 survey, down from 55.2 in July and below last August's 58.2.

The Current Economic Conditions Index fell to 51.9, down from 54.8 in July and below last August's 61.7. The Index of Consumer Expectations dropped to 51.5, down from 55.4 in July and below last August's 55.9.

The survey found that groups who are typically less equipped to absorb increases in the cost of living also exhibited stronger decreases in sentiment, including older consumers, lower- and middle-income consumers, and those with no stock holdings.

Though year-ahead inflation expectations slipped from 4.2 percent in July to 4.0 percent, it still substantially exceeds 3.4 percent seen in February before the Iran war began. Long-run inflation expectations held steady at 3.3 percent for the third consecutive month, remaining higher than its 2024 range of 2.8-3.2 percent.

Survey findings indicate that consumers foresee continued increases in gasoline prices over both the near and long term, owing to persistent policy uncertainty and the conflict in the Middle East, while simultaneously voicing mounting anxiety over a potential slowdown in other areas of the economy.

U.S. consumer sentiment slips as inflation concerns persist