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Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Wednesday thanked India and China for their assistance following the devastating floods that hit the country on August 26. Speaking in Parliament, Shah said his government had sought international cooperation from the very first day of the disaster. He rejected concerns over hesitation in accepting foreign aid, saying there was no question of refusing international assistance during such a major crisis.

India Steps In

More than 4,000 people remain missing in Nepal following the sudden floods, while 1,127 deaths have so far been confirmed.

Soon after the disaster struck, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Shah by telephone and assured him that India would provide all possible assistance. Since then, India has continued sending relief and rescue support to the neighbouring country.

The assistance includes food supplies, medicines and equipment required for constructing bridges. India has also sent a team of DNA experts to support efforts to identify missing people and assist the authorities with the aftermath of the disaster.

Shah said international cooperation was essential given the scale of the crisis and maintained that his government had been seeking assistance from the outset.

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Balen Shah Defends Response

Addressing questions over whether citizens had received timely information, Shah said the government had sent SMS alerts to around 1.1 million people.

Rejecting allegations that authorities failed to provide warnings in time, Balen Shah said the disaster had been beyond expectations. He maintained that messages were sent to citizens as soon as the government became aware of the situation.

Shah also faced questions over coordination between the federal, state and local levels of government. He said authorities had remained in regular communication and that relief and rescue operations were being carried out through coordination between the different levels.

On the rescue of people trapped inside a tunnel at a hydroelectric project, Shah  acknowledged that the rescue was particularly challenging because it was different from a conventional operation and required significant technical expertise.

Shah said the government was continuing efforts to rescue those trapped, using the resources and technical capabilities available to it.

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