A fundraising appeal called “We Stand With Nepal” has been launched in Monaco to help people hit by the floods that devastated Nepal on August 26. Every euro raised goes directly to the Red Cross for Nepal. Behind it is Alexander Moghadam, Nepal’s Honorary Consul General in Monaco, who at 90 is still finding new ways to give back.
His story in the Principality goes back almost half a century. Princess Grace had encouraged him to settle in Monaco, and she was among the guests when his Persian carpet gallery opened at 23 Boulevard des Moulins in 1977.
The business grew into one of the most significant collections of Persian carpets. Moghadam also used it for charity, putting pieces from his collection up for auction to support good causes.
Nepal became the other great thread in his life. He was appointed the country’s Honorary Consul in Monaco in 2013, and in 2021 he was authorised to act as Honorary Consul General.
The Honorary Consulate says his trips to Nepal and his charity work helped fund humanitarian projects and facilities for local people. It also credits him with helping extend Monaco’s aid to the Nepalese population.
That history makes the scale of this disaster especially personal. A sudden flash flood on the Bhote Koshi river has left a devastating toll, and Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the severity of the emergency. According to the latest available figures, more than 1,400 people have died, over 6,000 are still missing and more than 13,000 have been rescued.
Search, recovery and identification work is still going on, and the numbers are still being updated. Homes, roads, bridges and hydropower plants were badly damaged.
The financial cost is huge as well. In a preliminary assessment, Nepal’s government puts direct damage at around $1.8 billion and economic losses at about $883 million. Rebuilding is expected to cost around $4.78 billion, with about $57.67 million of that needed in the first six months.
The appeal is Moghadam’s answer to that need. Donations are made online through the Leetchi platform, and supporters can give any amount.
Organisers are also asking people to share the campaign link and its QR code through their personal and professional networks, so the appeal can reach as many people as possible.