The UAE has delivered a further 45 tonnes of essential supplies to Nepal under a $10 million humanitarian aid package aimed at assisting communities bearing the brunt of devastating floods.
Food, relief materials and power generators transported aboard an Emirati plane have arrived in the Himalayan country to bolster the urgent response to the deadly natural disaster.
A glacier collapse and landslide caused severe flash flooding on Wednesday, leading to widespread destruction at the border between Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet.
The latest aid effort will support those worst affected by the severe floods and landslides in Nepal, which have triggered a mammoth search-and-rescue operation.
It is the second aid flight organised by the Emirates, coming after 85 tonnes of food and shelter supplies were flown to Nepal on Sunday.
The death toll across Nepal and Tibet has now passed 1,000. Nepalese authorities said 987 people have died in the country, with more recorded in Tibet.
More than 4,000 people remain missing in the two countries. Officials in Nepal said at least 11,814 people have been rescued, with emergency teams using helicopters to reach those stranded in areas where roads and bridges have been destroyed.
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Rescue workers clear the way in a hydropower tunnel in Nepal, as they search for survivors after deadly flash floods. Reuters -
Nepali soldiers take part in the rescue operation a tunnel at the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project site, in Rasuwa district. AFP -
Rescuers are searching for the 933 workers believed to be trapped across 11 hydropower projects in Nepal. AFP -
India has sent military personnel to aid the search in the Rasuwa tunnel. AFP -
Army personnel conducting a search and rescue operation at a tunnel site of the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower project in Rasuwa. AFP -
Rescuers work near the tunnel of Nepal's Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project. Reuters -
Diggers are used to clear way to a tunnel at the Trishuli 3A Hydropower Project, after the flash floods. Reuters -
The disaster damaged tunnel at the plant on the banks of the swollen Trishuli River. Getty Images -
A glacier collapse caused a deluge of ice, rock, mud and debris to hit parts of Nepal and China's Tibet region. Reuters -
Rescue workers search for survivors in the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project tunnel. Reuters -
Emergency personnel clear debris in a hydropower tunnel in Nepal's Rasuwa district. Reuters
Rescue teams in Nepal have stepped up efforts to reach more than 600 workers believed to be trapped inside blocked hydropower tunnels.
Nepali officials said the focus was on 11 hydropower projects in the country, including in the hard-hit districts of Rasuwa and Nuwakot. Pictures and video shared by rescue teams showed heavy machinery being used to dig through mud and rock in the dark to reach those trapped.
Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the flood as an “unprecedented and devastating natural disaster”. Authorities have faced challenges in compiling a complete assessment of the damage, he added.
The UAE's $10m relief effort is being delivered through the UAE Aid Agency on the directives of President Sheikh Mohamed.
Dr Tareq Al Amiri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, emphasised that the Emirates would continue to take a leading role in supporting responses to disasters and crises around the world.
Dr Al Amiri said a team from the agency was working with local authorities and international organisations to ensure that support is provided to affected groups.
