Mumba/New Delhi– Reaffirming its unwavering commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, India has once again lived up to its longstanding role as Nepal’s ‘first responder’ in times of crisis. To help Nepal cope with the devastation caused by floods and landslides, the Government of India acted swiftly on 26 August, sending the first consignment of 10 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) material, along with life-saving medicines, to Kathmandu. The very next day, on 27 August, India dispatched a second major consignment of 37.5 tonnes of relief material aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft, providing immediate assistance to its neighbour during this difficult period.
In view of the severity of the disaster, the Ministry of External Affairs activated its diplomatic and administrative machinery in full force. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar held a high-level meeting in New Delhi on August 27. Sharing details of the meeting, Jaishankar wrote on the social media platform ‘X’, “Held a review meeting with Foreign Secretary, Team MEA and our Ambassadors in Kathmandu & Beijing on the Nepal flood disaster. Urgent efforts are underway to ascertain the status and well-being of all Indians in the flood-affected areas.”
He further wrote, “MEA is coordinating with various Ministries, State Governments, tour operators and project authorities in this regard. We are working closely with the Nepali side, both on this aspect and on the relief efforts.”
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said that Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava handed over the assistance material sent by India to Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Khadga Raj Paudel. It also said that the second consignment of 37.5 tonnes of HADR material, medicines and food packets was handed over to Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun. The Embassy said that all its officials are on alert and emergency numbers have been issued to assist and ensure the safety of Indians living in Nepal.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that 21 Indian citizens from Tamil Nadu who had travelled to Nepal for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra have been rescued. He also said that a special control room has been established at the Ministry of External Affairs to deal with the flood situation in Nepal.
India’s swift assistance is a vivid demonstration of its belief that the well-being and hardships of neighbouring countries are part of a shared destiny. Whether it was the devastating earthquake of 2015, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019–20, or the current flood disaster, India has always acted without delay to fulfil its responsibility as the ‘big brother’ to its neighbours.
