(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Sate of Kuwait has donated $3 million to the United Nations to meet Nepal's emergency humanitarian needs after the devastating earthquake that hit the country just over a week ago. This donation was announced in a statement by Hiyam Khaled Al-Fassam from the Kuwaiti mission to the UN during a meeting with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Monday to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Nepal caused by the earthquake. Al-Fassam added the donation came upon directions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah to face the harsh humanitarian conditions in Nepal and to support the international efforts in this respect.
She expressed Kuwait's grave concern about the repercussions of this devastating earthquake, especially with the approaching storms season, which will increase the risk of the spread of disease, especially on children, estimated at 1.700 million who are in dire need for humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the State of Kuwait has also offered condolences to the Government and people of Nepal and neighboring countries affected as well as to all families of the victims of the earthquake. The figures issued by a number of agencies about the number of victims and injured is alarming which requires fast and urgent international efforts to alleviate the human suffering caused by this disaster, Al- Fassam said. The Nepal government announced today that the number of victims of the devastating earthquake that hit the country on April 26 reached 7,276 people, while the number of injured reached 14,267 people.
Meanwhile, bad weather has cut links with a remote village in Nepal where dozens of villagers and trekkers are believed to be buried under an avalanche set off by last month's devastating earthquake, officials said on Tuesday. The death toll from the April 25 quake in the Himalayan nation has reached 7,566, and over 14,500 people were injured, the government said. About 100 bodies were recovered on Saturday and Sunday at Langtang village, 60 kms (37 miles) north of Kathmandu, which is on a trekking route popular with Westerners. The entire village, which includes 55 guesthouses for trekkers, was wiped out by the avalanche and rescuers are digging in the snow for signs of about 120 others believed buried. Gautam Rimal, assistant chief district officer in the area where Langtang is located, said authorities had not made contact with Langtang for more 24 hours because of bad weather.
The dead include at least seven foreigners, but only two had been identified, he said. Arow has broken out between Nepal and some international agencies over the handling of aid that poured into the country after the earthquake, with each side blaming the other for confusion and delays in getting help to victims. Frustrated by the lack of coordination, some donors are circumventing the authorities and sending supplies directly through non-governmental organisations for distribution, said an aide to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. "There are differences between the government and some donors over this," the aide said. The government has begun asking foreign teams to wrap up search and rescue operations as hopes of finding people alive in the rubble receded. "They can leave. If they are also specialists in clearing the rubble, they can stay," Rameshwor Dangal, an official at Nepal's home ministry, told Reuters on Monday. A European Union source said only about 60 citizens from the 28-nation bloc were still unaccounted for. Last week a senior EU official had estimated around 1,000 EU citizens were missing after the quake. The number is "going down by the hour" as rescue teams reach remoter areas, the EU source said. Home Ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said the government had been informed of 318 people missing, including foreigners, but said many more could be buried under landslides or in the ruins of their homes. A US State Department spokesman said helicopters chartered by the embassy in Kathmandu had rescued 17 US citizens in total from remote areas hit by the quake. The United States has provided $14.2 million in humanitarian aid.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.