ID :
367975
Wed, 05/20/2015 - 10:25
Auther :

UK, India To Assist Quake-Hit Nepal's Reconstruction

By YUBA NATH LAMSAL KATHMANDU, May 20 (Bernama) -- The United Kingdom (UK) and India have expressed their willingness to support the reconstruction of earthquake devastated Nepal. United Kingdom's Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening assured Nepalese foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey that the UK will support Nepal, in whatever way possible, in the reconstruction and rehabilitation after the massive earthquakes, according to a statement from the Nepalese foreign ministry. Greening arrived Tuesday in Kathmandu to take stock of the post-earthquake situation in Nepal and discuss the possible support from Britain in Nepal's reconstruction. "UK will continue to support Nepal through programmes on economic development, creation of jobs and livelihood," the statement quoted the visiting British secretary as saying. Foreign Minister Pandey hailed the United Kingdom for its support during search and rescue operations after the earthquake and also its willingness to help in the rehabilitation of earthquake victims and reconstruction, the statement said. "I sincerely wish to thank the government and people of the United Kingdom for the sympathy and solidarity they expressed to the people of Nepal and for the emergency rescue and relief support provided at the hour of great tragedy," Pandey said. Nepal has set up a Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Fund and it is soon hosting an international donors’ conference to garner adequate amount for the Fund. "We seek greater contributions from the United Kingdom to the recently created Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Fund," Pandey said. Similarly, PK Mishra, additional principal secretary of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and pledged India’s full support to Nepal’s immediate recovery and post-earthquake reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. "Prime Minister Modi is very concerned about the huge loss of lives and property in Nepal and he is keen to extend all possible support for the rehabilitation and reconstruction," Prime Minister Koirala’s foreign affairs adviser Dinesh Bhattarai quoted Mishra as saying. An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Nepal on April 25, followed by a powerful aftershock on May 12, killing at least 8,600 people and damaging property worth billions of dollars. According to preliminary estimates of the Nepal Government, the rehabilitation and reconstruction would require US$40 billion (RM140 billion). Nepal has appealed to the international community to commit additional support for rehabilitation of earthquake victims and reconstruction. -- BERNAMA

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