Pakistan has dispatched humanitarian assistance to Nepal following devastating floods and landslides that have killed at least 1,384 people and left more than 5,500 missing across China and Nepal.
In Nepal alone, rescuers have recovered 1,341 bodies, while around 4,996 people remain missing.
The relief consignment was coordinated by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and transported from Islamabad to Kathmandu on a chartered flight, the Foreign Office (FO) said.
The aid package included tents, blankets, mats, hygiene kits and medicines for communities affected by the disaster.
A ceremony to send off the humanitarian assistance was held at Islamabad airport and attended by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Nepal’s Ambassador Rita Dhital and senior officials from the Foreign Office and NDMA.
The Foreign Office said the assistance reflected Pakistan’s solidarity with the government and people of Nepal during the crisis.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan’s thoughts and prayers were with the families of those killed and all those affected by the disaster. He reiterated Islamabad’s commitment to providing all possible support to Nepal.
The NDMA later said the relief assistance had been handed over to the relevant Nepalese authorities.
Meanwhile, rescue operations in Nepal entered their 12th day on Sunday, with teams working under difficult weather and geographical conditions.
The recovery effort received a boost after four people were found alive in separate rescue operations. Two survivors were rescued on Saturday, following two others who were found alive the previous day.
Three of the survivors were discovered inside hydropower tunnels, where authorities had initially believed more than 100 workers could still be trapped.
Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said search and rescue operations were continuing despite difficult terrain, adverse weather and limited connectivity.
The disaster struck on August 26 when a massive torrent of ice, water and debris swept through mountainous districts, destroying roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
Among the latest survivors were a Chinese national rescued from deep inside a hydropower tunnel and a 64-year-old Nepali woman, Chandrika Shrestha, who was found alive inside her mud-covered home.
Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the woman’s rescue had restored hope across the country.
Two Nepali hydropower workers were also rescued from the Trishuli 3A tunnel a day earlier. Search operations remain underway at several locations, with at least 12 hydropower projects affected by the disaster.
Other accounts of survival have also emerged. School principal Rajendra Dawadi ordered the evacuation of his students as floodwaters approached, helping save hundreds of lives.
Authorities are also working to restore electricity in affected areas. Shrestha said solar power was being used in locations that remained inaccessible to conventional electricity networks.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal described the disaster as a “Himalayan tsunami” and warned that reconstruction could cost billions of dollars.
The United Nations has described the scale of destruction as a major challenge for aid delivery and launched a $50 million appeal to support more than 84,000 affected people.
With mortuaries overwhelmed, Nepal has buried hundreds of unidentified victims in mass graves after collecting DNA samples to facilitate future identification. Police said only around 100 bodies had so far been identified and handed over to their families.
Nepal is scheduled to observe a national day of mourning on Monday, the 13th day since the disaster, in accordance with the traditional Hindu mourning period.
Although the precise cause of the glacial collapse remains unclear, scientists have warned that climate change is accelerating glacial melting worldwide and increasing the risk of such disasters.
