Rapper faces first big test as prime minister after Nepal flood disaster

Balendra Shah is due to address the United Nations General Assembly this week, using his first foreign trip as prime minister to press Nepal's case for greater international support to recover from a flood that scientists have linked to climate change. | AFP-JIJI

Sep 24, 2026

Kathmandu – Nepal’s rapper-turned-prime minister swept to power six months ago on a wave of youth-led anti-corruption protests, buoyed by optimism for change.

Now, Balendra Shah faces his biggest test as his country’s leader after a catastrophic flood on the China-Nepal border killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands missing.

The disaster has pushed climate diplomacy to the center of the 36-year-old’s premiership, overshadowing the anti-corruption agenda that powered his rise to office.

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