The devastating floods that tore through Nepal have killed at least 670 people and left around 3,000 missing, including dozens of Americans. Now a former US disaster-response chief has raised a troubling question: could lives have been saved if a flood-warning programme dismantled under Donald Trump had remained in place? Warnings that could have made a difference Jeremy Konyndyk, who previously led USAID’s disaster response, pointed to the SERVIR programme, a partnership involving USAID and NASA that supported flood prediction, disaster preparedness and monitoring of dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal. Konyndyk said the programme had provided advanced forecasting with days of warning, giving communities crucial time to prepare for floods. He argued that DOGE-led cuts to US foreign aid had affected programmes designed specifically to track the kind of Himalayan hazards now facing Nepal. The floods are believed to have followed a catastrophic glacier collapse in the Himalayas, sending a surge of water and debris downstream. Trump-era cuts under renewed scrutiny Konyndyk said DOGE had targeted federal grants using searches for terms including “climate”, with programmes connected to flood prediction among those affected. A NASA notice published in March 2025 confirmed that USAID had terminated agreements with SERVIR partners, leaving NASA unable to continue the programme. The wider cuts were extensive. Under the Trump administration, DOGE oversaw tens of billions of dollars in reductions to US foreign aid, with many USAID projects subsequently shut down or severely reduced. There is no evidence that the Nepal disaster would have been prevented, or that the casualties would definitely have been lower had SERVIR continued. But the timing has intensified scrutiny over whether dismantling climate-monitoring and disaster-warning infrastructure left vulnerable communities with fewer tools to respond to an increasingly dangerous environment. With thousands still missing and rescue operations continuing, the debate over the cost of those cuts is now moving from Washington’s balance sheets to the devastation left behind in the Himalayas. Unsettling question raised over Trump admin's role in devastating Nepal floods
