Ripple is donating $300,000 to support emergency relief efforts after severe flooding struck Nepal and Tibet, providing funding for food, water, and sanitation assistance.
The blockchain payments company announced the contribution on Aug. 28 on X. The funds will go to World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit that provides meals during humanitarian emergencies, and Mercy Corps, which delivers humanitarian aid and supports disaster recovery.
“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.”
Flooding devastates communities in Nepal and Tibet
Flooding has devastated communities along Nepal’s Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors, severely damaging critical infrastructure. Mercy Corps is coordinating with local authorities and humanitarian partners to assess urgent needs and support the emergency response.
An ice-rock avalanche from a Himalayan glacier is believed to have blocked a river before releasing a destructive surge downstream. The resulting floods swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts, destroying homes, roads, bridges, power systems, and communications infrastructure. The flooding also struck the Gyirong border port in Tibet.
Rescue operations continued amid unstable terrain and the risk of secondary disasters.
UNICEF reported on Aug. 27 that at least 17,000 children were affected in Nepal. Eighteen schools were destroyed and 20 others sustained damage. The agency appealed for $17.2 million to fund health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, child protection, and early-recovery programs.
Ripple said the donation addresses two immediate needs identified in the affected areas: emergency meal distribution and water and sanitation services. World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps will use the funding to support those efforts on the ground.
Ripple expands humanitarian partnerships
The donation builds on Ripple’s existing relationships with both organizations. World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps were among several nonprofits that piloted Ripple Payments and the Ripple USD ($RLUSD) stablecoin to explore faster and more transparent ways to distribute emergency funds.
Ripple previously worked with Mercy Corps Ventures on a drought-response project in Kenya. 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.
Each eligible participant received approximately $75 if drought conditions activated the payment mechanism. The project demonstrated how stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure could automate humanitarian assistance in regions with limited access to conventional financial services.
Ripple’s broader payment infrastructure is connected to the XRP Ledger, a public blockchain designed for rapid, low-cost transactions. The company’s contribution to relief efforts in Nepal and Tibet extends its humanitarian partnerships while directing $300,000 to organizations providing emergency assistance.
