According to reports from Ripple, the San Francisco-based blockchain company pledged $300,000 on August 28 to support emergency relief following catastrophic floods across Nepal and China's Tibet region. The donation will be divided between World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps, with both organizations providing meals, clean water and sanitation support to affected communities. Ripple has maintained partnerships with both organizations, supporting World Central Kitchen since 2020 and partnering with Mercy Corps on blockchain technology projects for humanitarian finance. The company's broader payment infrastructure is connected with the XRP Ledger, a public blockchain built for rapid, low-cost transactions. As per Ripple, the company stated that "Ripple is donating $300,000 to World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps to support emergency meal distribution and water and sanitation efforts on the ground." This contribution complements international aid, including $500,000 from the US government, highlighting Ripple's commitment to rapid humanitarian support. The funds will be used to provide emergency meals, clean water, and sanitation to affected communities, where critical infrastructure has been damaged and over 17,000 children are in urgent need.
As reported by Reuters, authorities confirmed over 600 deaths in Nepal and 7 deaths in Tibet by August 29, with nearly 3,000 people still missing. Nepal recorded 652 deaths and 2,498 missing people, while Tibet's Gyirong County reported 16 deaths and 546 missing. The Red Cross estimated that more than 90,000 people were affected by the disaster. According to UNICEF, at least 17,000 children were affected in Nepal, while 18 schools were destroyed and 20 sustained damage. The Red Cross estimated that more than 90,000 people were affected by the disaster. The glacier collapse damaged roads, bridges, power infrastructure and entire settlements, restricting access to food, water and emergency services. Nepalese officials have estimated reconstruction costs could reach $5 billion. The flooding swept through Nepal's Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts, destroying homes, roads, bridges, power systems, and communications infrastructure, and struck the Gyirong border port in Tibet.
According to Ripple, scientists linked the disaster to a glacier collapse that released ice, rock, mud and debris into the mountain river system on August 26. The resulting torrent moved through communities on both sides of the Nepal-China border. World Central Kitchen reported that an ice-rock avalanche temporarily blocked the Lhende Khola River before releasing a sudden surge downstream, destroying villages and infrastructure along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river corridors. Hundreds of workers were believed to be trapped inside damaged hydropower tunnels, with Nepal requesting international assistance for tunnel rescues. The flooding has devastated communities along Nepal's Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors, with critical infrastructure severely damaged. Rescue operations continued amid unstable terrain and secondary-disaster risks. The agency sought $17.2 million for health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, child protection, and early-recovery programs.
As reported by Ripple, World Central Kitchen is distributing meals in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts through local restaurant partners, with relief team members traveling to expand the response. Mercy Corps, which has operated in Nepal since 2005, is coordinating water, sanitation and humanitarian work with local authorities and partner organizations. The organizations have previously worked with Ripple on disaster responses, including hurricane relief efforts and blockchain-based aid distribution projects. World Central Kitchen has mobilized restaurant partners to provide meals in hard-hit areas, while Mercy Corps is working on water, sanitation and longer-term recovery needs. The contribution aims to address immediate needs while rescue and recovery operations continue in the region.
According to Ripple, the company has reported more than $250 million in charitable donations since 2018, including over $70 million during 2025. Its previous partnerships have included using RLUSD for drought-relief payments in Kenya, where smart contracts were designed to release assistance when satellite data detected defined drought conditions. In 2023, the company supported relief following devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, working with organizations including World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps. World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps were among several nonprofits piloting Ripple Payments and stablecoin Ripple USD (RLUSD) to examine faster and more transparent methods of distributing emergency funds. The RLUSD-based pilot targeted 533 pastoralists and used satellite data and smart contracts to trigger payments when vegetation conditions fell below a predetermined threshold, offering each eligible participant approximately $75 if drought conditions activated the payment mechanism.
