Mohammad orders air bridge of humanitarian aid
FOOD APART, RELIEF PROVIDED INCLUDES HEALTH KITS, WATER PURIFICATION UNITS, WATER STORAGE UNITS, BLANKETS, TENTS, SOLAR LAMPS
Sushil Koirala
| Om Prakash Gurung | Chairman of British Gurkha Veterans Association
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has ordered an air bridge to supply urgent aid to the victims of the massive earthquake in Nepal, as the death toll crossed 5,000 and the United Nations estimated that eight million people had been affected.
Shaikh Mohammad also gave instructions for a donation of 100,000 units of Salma Halal Food, the ready-to-eat meals dedicated for emergency responses. The first Boeing 747 that is part of the air bridge took off yesterday from Dubai for Kathmandu with 90 tonnes of aid. The total volume of shipment that will be sent through the air bridge will exceed 450 tonnes and include items such as emergency health kits, water purification units, water storage units, blankets, tents, solar lamps and food items.
The International Humanitarian City (IHC) Dubai, one of the biggest global logistics hubs, is coordinating the air bridge in tandem with UN agencies, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, and a number of other global humanitarian agencies.
As an immediate response to the disaster, UN agencies have already started sending aid shipments via the air bridge. “The UAE leadership and the people are well known for their humanitarian commitment and, through the IHC, we continue to lend a hand to people facing crises around the world,” said Hamad Al Shamsi, IHC board member.
The aid mobilisation from the UAE came as Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the death toll could reach 10,000, as information of damage from far-flung villages and towns was yet to come in.
Growing desperation
Hungry and desperate villagers meanwhile rushed towards relief helicopters in remote areas of Nepal yesterday, begging to be airlifted to safety. Aid also finally began reaching areas that had to fend for themselves since Saturday’s 7.8-magnitude quake.
“The ground keeps shaking, even this morning it did. Every time it feels like we will be swallowed, that we will die now. I want to get out of here!” said Sita Gurung, 24, whose home had been ruined. Around 8,000 people had been injured while the United Nations estimated that eight million people had been affected.
In Gorkha, one of the worsthit districts, terrified residents ran with outstretched arms towards an Indian army helicopter, pleading for food and water. “We haven’t had any food here since the earthquake. Everything has changed, we don’t have anything left here,” Gurung said.
An army officer lifted her onto a stretcher and carried her away.
Koirala told an emergency all-party meeting the government was sending desperately needed tents, water and food supplies to those in need.
But he said authorities were overwhelmed by appeals for help from remote Himalayan villages. “Appeals for rescues are coming in from everywhere,” a statement from Koirala’s office quoted him as saying. “But we have been unable to initiate rescue efforts in many areas at the same time due to lack of equipment and rescue experts.”
Rain had also hampered the effort, Nepal police spokesman Kamal Singh Bam said. With fears rising of food and water shortages, people were rushing to stores and petrol stations to stock up on essential supplies in the capital Kathmandu. Nepal has declared a state of emergency after the disaster.
The quake is a serious blow to the economy of one of the world’s poorest countries, already reeling from a decade-long civil war that ended in 2006.
Swayambhunath:
Nepal’s oldest Buddhist temple complex damaged
Hindu temple complex with cremation ghats
Complex of palaces and temples badly damaged
Durbar Square, Patan:
Durbar Square, Bhaktapur:
Famous 16th Century Vatsala Durga temple (below) demolished Dharahara tower: Built for Queen of Nepal in 1832, reconstructed after 1934 quake. Totally destroyed
Boudhanath:
Largest Buddhist stupa in Nepal
Pashupatinath: Durbar Square, Kathmandu:
Several buildings destroyed Changu Narayan: Hindu temple