ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday sent a second humanitarian aid consignment to Nepal as search and rescue operations entered their 12th day following a catastrophic flash flood and debris flow that has left 1,341 bodies recovered and around 5,000 people missing.
The 100-ton consignment, coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), was transported from Islamabad to Kathmandu aboard a chartered cargo flight, according to the Foreign Office.
The latest assistance comprises family tents, blankets, mats, hygiene kits and essential medicines for communities affected by the disaster.
A send-off ceremony was held at Islamabad International Airport, attended by Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, Nepal’s ambassador to Pakistan and senior officials.
The latest shipment follows an 86-ton relief consignment sent by Pakistan earlier in the week, carrying tents, food, safe drinking water, medicines, hygiene kits and other emergency supplies for flood-affected communities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also visited the Nepal Embassy in Islamabad earlier this week, where he conveyed condolences over the loss of lives and reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the people of Nepal.
PM Sharif had said Pakistan would dispatch emergency relief assistance to support the country’s rescue and relief efforts.
Nepal’s Foreign Ministry said search and rescue operations entered their 12th day on Sunday, with more than 13,100 people rescued so far.
Four people have been found alive over the past three days, including three rescued from hydropower tunnels, while international rescue teams continue operations in difficult terrain.
The disaster struck on Aug 26 after an ice-rock avalanche in the upper watershed near the Nepal-China border triggered a massive flash flood and debris flow along the Bhote Koshi River.
The disaster devastated communities, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure in Nepal, while China has reported 43 deaths and 519 people missing on its side of the border.
The United Nations and humanitarian partners have launched a $49.6 million emergency appeal to assist more than 84,000 people affected by the disaster. The four-month response plan seeks to address urgent needs including shelter, healthcare, clean water, sanitation, food and protection.
UN agencies have also warned of continuing risks from disease, further landslides and the isolation of affected communities as rescue operations give way to a longer recovery effort.
Pakistan’s latest assistance reflects its continued support for Nepal as the country grapples with one of its most devastating disasters in recent years.
With additional inputs from AFP