India has sent a second consignment of 37.5 tonnes of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief material to flood-hit Nepal, taking the total relief supplies sent by India to 47.5 tonnes. Nepal continues to deal with the impact of devastating flash floods.
India Steps Up Relief Support
The second consignment was sent by a military transport aircraft on August 27. It carried medicines, food packets and other emergency supplies for communities affected by the floods.
The first consignment of 10 tonnes of HADR material was dispatched on August 26, following a conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
India has also offered to provide Bailey bridges and prefabricated truss bridges to support relief and recovery operations.
Nepal Rejects Foreign Rescue Teams
While India and several other countries have offered wider assistance, Nepal has decided not to allow foreign search and rescue teams to join operations on the ground.
Officials said Nepal’s security agencies are capable of handling the rescue effort. The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Nepali Army and police.
Countries including India, China, the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had expressed willingness to send rescue teams.
517 Foreign Nationals Remain Missing
The decision comes as 517 foreign nationals remain missing or out of contact following the Bhotekoshi floods.
Nepal Police said those missing include 178 Indians, 65 Americans, 51 Malaysians, 53 Ukrainians, 33 British nationals, 35 Australians and 25 Canadians.
Chinese officials have separately reported that at least 100 Chinese nationals are out of contact. India has said more than 200 Indian nationals stranded in the floods are seeking evacuation.
Nepal Seeks Financial Assistance
Instead of foreign rescue teams, Nepal has asked countries willing to help to provide financial contributions through a single government mechanism.
The government has said further financial assistance and international support will be required during the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.
Emergency Team Set Up for Foreign Nationals
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established an Emergency Response Team to coordinate the search for missing foreign nationals and provide consular assistance.
The ministry has also deployed an official to the operations centre in Timure, Rasuwa, to coordinate with security teams and relay verified information to foreign governments, diplomatic missions and families.
International Support Continues
The US, UK and World Bank have announced financial assistance, while several other countries and international organisations have offered support.
The Asian Development Bank has also said it will support Nepal beyond the immediate crisis, including efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness, early warning systems and resilient infrastructure.
The floods have killed more than 170 people and caused widespread destruction across affected areas. Rescue, relief and recovery operations continue across Nepal.
