Nepal Prime Minister Balen Shah thanked India and China in Parliament on Wednesday, September 2. He appreciated both countries for their help after severe floods.
Shah said his government started taking international cooperation for disaster management from the beginning. He rejected questions about hesitation in seeking foreign assistance.
According to Shah, such a massive disaster required international cooperation. He said avoiding global support during this crisis was never possible.
India continues sending relief materials to Nepal
Nepal faced severe floods on August 26, leaving more than 4,000 people missing. Authorities have confirmed 1,127 deaths so far.
After the disaster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Balen Shah over the phone. He assured India’s help during the emergency.
Since then, India has continuously provided assistance to Nepal. The relief supplies include food, medicines, bridge construction materials, and DNA expert teams.
Government explains communication and rescue plans
Meanwhile, Nepal’s government faced questions over delayed information sharing during the disaster. Shah responded by saying authorities sent 1.1 million SMS messages.
He dismissed claims about late communication and said the disaster remained beyond expectations. Shah explained that officials informed citizens through SMS after receiving updates.
Furthermore, Shah addressed questions about coordination between state and local authorities. He said discussions continued with different government levels.
He added that rescue and relief operations are progressing through coordination efforts.
Technical challenges affected tunnel rescue
Additionally, Shah answered questions about the rescue operation inside a hydroelectric project tunnel. He said all state parties joined the rescue work.
However, he explained that the operation required extensive technical knowledge. Shah said the government continues rescue attempts using available resources.
