Aid reaches from various countries to Earthquake hit Nepal

Kathmandu: Various countries have sent out aid and relief material to the Earthquake hit Nepal where the death toll has approached 2500. These include monetary aid, relief and rescue materials, health care facilities.

Building Debris of Nepal Earthquake on 25 April 2015

Building Debris of Nepal Earthquake on 25 April 2015


United states sent aid and released USD$1 million and a disaster response team to assist with immediate needs. The White House and Secretary of State John Kerry offered condolences and pledged to offer assistance. Kerry stated that USAID was activating an urban search and rescue team.

India was the first nation to act upon the crisis and dispatch relief packages and teams to Nepal. Within 15 minutes of the quake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had responded, directing immediate dispatch of relief and rescue teams, including medical teams to Nepal. By that same afternoon, ten teams of National Disaster Response Force totaling 450 personnel and including several sniffer dogs had already arrived in Nepal; ten additional Indian Air Force planes soon departed to join them with further aid. India sent 143 tons of relief material, including tents and food. Prime Minister Modi spoke with Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and assured him of India’s support and assistance. The Indian Army sent a major general to Nepal to oversee the rescue and relief efforts. The Indian Air Force mobilised its Il-76, C-130J Hercules and C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters for Operation Maitri, the name for the relief efforts in Nepal. Upto eight Mi-17 helicopters are being used for missions such as air-dropping relief materials. The Indian Air Force evacuated over 500 citizens from Nepal late Saturday through Sunday morning, and hundreds more on Sunday. Ten flights were planned for Sunday. These would airlift army forward hospitals, engineering task forces, water, food, National Disaster Response Force teams, medical personnel and equipment, blankets and tents. Prime Minister Modi vowed to wipe the tears of every person in Nepal in his Mann Ki Baat address to the nation. An Indian army mountaineering team evacuated the bodies of 18 mountaineers from Everest base camp. Indian Air Force helicopters reached Mount Everest on the morning of April 26 for rescue operations.

Canada is contributing $5 million to the relief efforts, as well as deploying elements of the country’s Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) to Nepal to assess how to best help with the situation.

Australia announced an immediate $5 million aid package of life-saving humanitarian support to Nepal, including $2.5 million to assist Australian non-government organisations, $2 million to support United Nations partners and $0.5 million to support the Australian Red Cross.

South Korea extended its condolences to the families and victims of Nepal and pledged to immediately donate USD$1 million, along with a possible rescue team dispatched to assist in rescue missions

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sent messages of condolences to the Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, and pledged to offer assistance. Xi Jinping, the President of China, sent his condolences to Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav and pledged to offer assistance. The China International Search and Rescue Team (CISAR) deployed 68 of its members, as well as 6 search and rescue dogs, to Nepal via chartered plane in the early morning of 26 April, Beijing time. The Chinese embassy in Nepal launched an emergency response mechanism to help with the Chinese nationals injured in the disaster.

Pakistan announced that it was sending PAF’s four C-130 planes packed with life-saving emergency equipment—including a 30-bed hospital, 2,000 military meals, 600 blankets, 200 tents, and other assorted relief items—along with military emergency personnel including army doctors, military physicians, medical staff, and combined ERRA-NDMA’s special search and rescue teams with sniffer dogs