Nepal, Sept. 1 -- Following the unprecedented disaster in Rasuwa and surrounding northern districts, Nepal finds itself in the grip of a profound humanitarian and infrastructural crisis. Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal speaks about the scale of the disaster, the logistical nightmare of high-altitude tunnel rescues, and why Nepal is shifting its diplomatic posture from requesting humanitarian aid to demanding climate compensation.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length, and is based on an interview on Kantipur TV's Fireside by Rupesh Shrestha.

Minister, you recently returned from a field visit to Nuwakot. What is the real-world scale of this disaster?

When the first reports came in around 9am, our immediate conceptual im...