Kathmandu: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) organized a press briefing by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai on the Government’s ongoing search, rescue, and relief efforts, following the devastating floods in the Bhote Koshi River on August 31.
Foreign Secretary Rai stated that the national priority is to save lives, locate missing persons, rescue them, provide urgent relief, and ensure that all affected people (both Nepali and foreigners) receive appropriate assistance and support. The Government of Nepal has mobilized all available and efforts at its disposal for search, rescue, and recovery operations.
The Ministry stated that so far 903 bodies have been recovered from the areas and about 4200 people are still unaccounted for. Over 10,000 people have been rescued from the regions, including over 323 foreign nationals. As per the available data, about 590 foreign nationals are still missing, from 39 countries.
The Government continues its close and coordination with immediate neighbours and the international community. A dedicated Emergency Control Room at the Ministry is coordinating with relevant agencies as well as with the families of missing people.
The Ministry stated that the situation is being effectively handled by unified teams of our security and other agencies. The agencies are working with specialized technical teams for tunnel rescue from India (11 people), China (9 people) in coordination with Nepali authorities in Mailung (Chilime) and Syafrubesi, and in Upper Trisuli 3A respectively. A team from South Korea is also mobilized.
Nepal has received generous rescue support from India, China, Japan, the United States, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and other countries and partners. Items in this regard include bridge units, freezers, generator sets, solar lamps, DNA testing kits, bridge units, emergency relief equipment as well as tents, blankets, sleeping bags, food packets, medicines etc. The Ministry has further requested essential non-food items and services like freezers, DNA testing kits and LiDAR from (USA) relief Specific items like Disaster Victim Identification (DVI, Singapore) service, belly bridges (some already received) and high-capacity drones (from China and Singapore).
Relief and humanitarian assistance are being provided in the affected areas. Nepal has already received relief materials from India, China and UAE and other countries. More supplies are coming from UAE, Myanmar, USA, Qatar, UK, Australia, Republic of Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other friendly countries and international organizations and partners like UN, WHO, WFP and UNICEF.
The Ministry also stated that a preliminary assessment of the needs is currently underway and a detailed Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) will be carried out for the actual figures for rehabilitation and reconstruction of those critical infrastructure like houses, road networks, bridges and hydropower facilities have been damaged etc.,
Furthermore they anticipate requiring international assistance for rehabilitation and reconstruction and stated that they will communicate specific requirements later.
Effective coordination is undergoing at different levels both within the country and with neighbours and the international community. The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister himself is deeply engaged in monitoring and supervising this operation.
Hon. Shisir Khanal, Minister for Foreign Affairs, has also talked to his counterparts and dignitaries of India, China, United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Venezuela, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, among others.
Minister Khanal has visited some flood impacted areas to observe the ongoing ground reality of search, relief, and rescue operation on August 30. He shared that the ground reality is much more complex and devastating than what we have seen and understood through different mediums.
The Government of Nepal has received hundreds of Condolences, Messages and willingness of support to Nepal from Heads of States, Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers as well as Heads of International Organizations and Specialised agencies, among others.
The Ministry stated that the Ministry and diplomatic missions in China are in constant coordination to collect, assess and share the updated information relating to the situation of Nepali nationals in China. The Chinese side has facilitated the return of Nepali nationals from Tibet through Hilsa and other border points.
There has been a regular real-time exchange of information between Nepal and China concerning hydrological and meteorological data, as well as information related to flood risks, avalanches, glacial lakes, water-induced disasters, among others.
The mortal remains of the dead (especially those not recognizable and decomposed due to longer time exposure to water) have been temporarily buried. Medical teams have taken DNA samples from every victim prior to the burial so that families can match records later, and will be allowed to exhume for necessary rituals. Standard protocols and guidelines in place for managing bodies in such difficult situations have been duly followed.
The Ministry reiterated the fact that Nepal needs assistance and support for rescue and relief operations, in areas like tunnel rescue, freezers, LiDAR, DNA and forensic expertise etc.
The Ministry requested the donors of the Prime Minister Relief Fund to verify the authenticity of the QR/link before making the payment.
The Ministry concluded the press briefing by reiterating that they are closely coordinating with the Ministry of Home Affairs, NDRRMA and the Nepali Army for rescue related specialization support, relief materials and missing foreign nationals.
