Serving as the first responder, India has supplied essential medicines and relief materials to assist Nepal's earthquake-affected people
India on Sunday sent an emergency relief assistance package, comprising medical equipment, relief materials for people affected by earthquake in Nepal.
 
At least 157 people were killed when an earthquake at the magnitude of 6.4 hit the Himalayan nation on November 2. According to Nepal’s National Earthquake Monitoring &Research Centre, the epicentre of the earthquake was at Jajarkot, which lies about 400km northeast of the capital, Kathmandu.
 
This rapid response aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “Neighbourhood First Policy,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, highlighting India's commitment to supporting its neighbouring nations in times of crisis.
 
“Providing emergency relief assistance to earthquake-affected areas of Nepal. As a first responder, India delivers medicines and relief material. PM Narendra Modi's Neighbourhood First policy in action,” EAM Jaishankar said in his post on X.
 
Earlier, the Indian embassy in Nepal in a press release said following up on the commitment by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide all possible assistance to Nepal following the earthquake in Jajarkot on November 3, 2023, the first consignment of the INR 10 crore worth of emergency relief materials arrived at Nepalgunj, Nepal, on Sunday.
 
A special Indian Air Force C-130 flight transported the consignment of over 11 tonnes emergency relief materials that included tents and tarpaulin sheets, blankets and sleeping bags as well as essential medicines and medical equipment such as portable ventilators for the affected people.
 
The relief materials were handed over by Ambassador of India to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava on behalf of the Government of India to Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka in the presence of Chief Minister of Karnali Raj Kumar Sharma.
 
Further consignments of the relief material are expected to arrive in the coming days. As a close friend and neighbour, India remains committed to extending all possible support to those affected by the earthquake in Nepal.
 
India continues to be a ‘First Responder’ in crisis situations in its neighbourhood and beyond. Following the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, the Government of India was the first responder and carried out its largest disaster relief operation abroad - Operation Maitri. India had also extended US$ 1 billion to Nepal as part of its long-term assistance for post-earthquake reconstruction in housing, education, health, and cultural heritage sectors and included reconstruction of 50,000 houses in Nepal’s Gorkha and Nuwakot districts.