Nepal is dealing with severe flooding and landslides that have caused major destruction and raised concerns about the reliability of information coming out of the country.

The disaster has highlighted questions about how China is reporting on the situation, particularly because of Beijing’s close relationship with Nepal and its influence over regional information.

Reports and images coming from affected areas have been difficult to independently verify, making it challenging to determine the full scale of the damage and humanitarian crisis.

The flooding has disrupted communities and infrastructure while authorities and residents work to respond to the disaster and assess the damage, NPR has reported.

The situation also illustrates how natural disasters can become information battles, with questions about what is being reported, what may be missing, and how outside governments influence the narrative.