Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah on Wednesday formally thanked India and China for timely support to relief efforts during the devastating floods that have killed more than 1,000 people in the Asian country.
“Our friendly nations, China and India, had sent technicians. From the very first day, they had conducted reconnaissance, including aerial reconnaissance, to assess the extent of the damage in the area and determine whether it was possible to reach the location," Shah said while speaking in the Nepal Parliament, as reported by News 18.
“This was an exceptional situation. The mud and sludge at the location were so severe that not only excavators, but even personnel from the Army and Armed Police Force had no place to stand," he added.
Shah's acknowledgement comes after Nepal's Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal called for a shift from conventional humanitarian aid towards "climate compensation" from major emitters, including India, China and the United States.
"We are shifting our diplomatic framework from aid to justice and compensation," Khanal said in an interview with Kantipur TV. "This is not a matter of charity; it is a matter of legal and moral liability," he said, adding that Nepal would raise the issue "with absolute firmness and clarity" at international forums.
India is providing both relief supplies and specialised assistance. New Delhi has now delivered a fifth tranche of relief material to flood-hit Nepal, with the Indian Air Force conducting multiple sorties to transport emergency supplies. Besides, India had offered specialised search and rescue assistance after the disaster.
