In order to help the victims of the terrible earthquake that struck Nepal last week and claimed over 150 lives, India sent 11 tons of essential relief supplies to that country on Sunday. An Indian Air Force C-130 transport plane sent the first cargo of relief supplies, valued at ₹10 Crore, to Nepalgunj.
The Indian embassy in Kathmandu released a statement stating that the supplies included tents, blankets, sleeping bags, tarpaulin sheets, critical medications, and medical equipment including portable ventilators. The supplies were given as part of a pledge to help Nepal in any way possible after the earthquake that struck Jajarkot on November 3.
The relief supplies were given to Nepal’s deputy prime minister, Purna Bahadur Khadka, by Indian ambassador Naveen Srivastava.
India is still the first country to respond to emergencies in its immediate vicinity. Operation Maitri, the Indian government’s greatest disaster relief effort overseas, was launched in the wake of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. As part of its long-term aid for post-earthquake rehabilitation in the housing, education, health, and cultural heritage sectors, India has also given $1 billion to Nepal. Rebuilding of fifty thousand homes in the districts of Gorkha and Nuwakot was part of this.
S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, wrote on X about aiding Nepal, “Providing emergency relief assistance to earthquake affected areas of Nepal. As a first responder, India delivers medicines and relief material.”
On Friday, a powerful earthquake that rocked multiple districts in a remote area of western Nepal left over 150 people dead and 375 wounded. Blocked mountain routes have made search and rescue operations more difficult.
