Nepal has made a formal request to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) to respond to the catastrophic flood that has caused unimaginable loss of lives and widespread damage. #nepalflood As someone involved in the Transitional Committee that helped establish the Fund, I clearly remember our discussions about making it different from conventional climate funds, more responsive to the realities and urgency of loss and damage. The FRLD now has an opportunity to demonstrate what it was created to deliver: timely, accessible and grant-based support when vulnerable countries face catastrophic loss and damage. We sincerely hope no country has to face such a tragedy. But today, Nepal needs solidarity translated into action. I have fresh memories of visiting the affected area just two days before the disaster, which makes this tragedy deeply personal. Each passing hour brings reports of further loss, while families continue searching for their loved ones. It is deeply difficult to process. The precise causes of this extraordinary event are still being investigated, but it comes against the wider reality of a rapidly warming climate, thawing permafrost, retreating glaciers and growing risks of extreme events across Nepal and the Himalaya. Those who have contributed least to climate change are increasingly bearing devastating #LossandDamage.