Ripple's $300,000 donation will go towards emergency relief in the form of food, water, and sanitation services following devastating floods that hit Nepal and Tibet. On August 28, the blockchain-based payments company announced this donation on X, naming World Central Kitchen—a non-profit providing meals during humanitarian crises—and Mercy Corps—an organization delivering humanitarian aid and supporting disaster recovery efforts—as recipients.
The company described the donation's purpose in the context of the ongoing humanitarian operation:
"Ripple is directing $300,000 to World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps to support emergency food distribution, as well as water and sanitation services on the ground."
The floods caused immense damage to settlements along the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river basins in Nepal. Critical infrastructure sustained serious damage. Mercy Corps is coordinating with local authorities and humanitarian partners to assess urgent needs and support emergency response measures.
Floods Devastate Settlements in Nepal and Tibet
It is presumed that a rock-ice avalanche from a Himalayan glacier blocked a river, leading to a devastating flood surge downstream. The flood surged through Nepal's Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts, destroying homes, roads, bridges, power supply systems, and communication infrastructure, and also struck the Gyirong border port in Tibet. Rescue operations continued amid unstable terrain and the risk of secondary disasters.
According to UNICEF data from August 27, at least 17,000 children were affected in Nepal, with 18 schools destroyed and 20 damaged. The agency requested $17.2 million for programs in health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, child protection, and early recovery.
Ripple's donation aims to address two urgent needs identified in the affected areas. The company stated that World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps will direct the funds towards emergency food distribution, as well as water supply and sanitation.
Donation Expands Ripple's Humanitarian Partnerships
This contribution builds upon Ripple's existing relationships with both humanitarian organizations. World Central Kitchen and Mercy Corps were among several non-profits testing Ripple Payments and the Ripple USD ($RLUSD) stablecoin to explore faster, more transparent methods for distributing emergency aid funds.
Previously, Ripple collaborated with Mercy Corps Ventures on a drought response project in Kenya. The pilot project based on $RLUSD targeted 533 livestock keepers and used satellite data and smart contracts to trigger payouts when vegetation health fell below a pre-set threshold.
Under this initiative, each qualifying participant received approximately $75 USD when drought conditions triggered the payout mechanism. This demonstrated one way stablecoins and blockchain infrastructure could automate humanitarian aid delivery in regions with limited access to traditional financial services.
Ripple's broader payment infrastructure is linked to the XRP Ledger—a public blockchain network built for fast, low-cost transactions. The contribution in Nepal and Tibet follows the company's previous humanitarian partnerships and entails directing $300,000 to organizations providing on-the-ground emergency assistance.
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