£3m wasted on Nepal quake helicopters that sat idle

MINISTERS wasted £3million of aid money sending unwanted helicopters to help in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake, a report reveals today.

The three Chinooks were deployed last year, but the Nepalese government said it did not need the massive helicopters amid concerns they could damage buildings left unstable by the quake.

The diplomatic wrangle meant the three military aircraft only made it as far as India. They were returned to the UK almost a month later without flying a single rescue mission.

Today’s report by the National Audit Office reveals that the fiasco cost taxpayers £3million. The cost was initially borne by the Ministry of Defence, but was eventually billed to the Department for International Development.

The study also found some British aid to Syria has been stolen by armed groups operating in the country. It says: ‘The items that are stolen… vary, but food baskets are particularly targeted.’

Commenting on Dfid’s use of UN agencies in Syria, where £1.1billion of British aid has been spent, the report says: ‘The department has not usually been able to identify how much of its funding benefits recipients, and how much goes to meet the support costs of UN bodies and their partners.’

Dfid said: ‘Working in conflict-affected countries carries inherent risk but we do not tolerate any misuse of aid.’