The British government is sending relief material to Nepal. The RAF flight is carrying vital aid stocks to Nepal. Department for International Development Secretary Justine Greening said relief material included more than 1,100 shelter kits and over 1,700 solar lanterns, along with a team of Gurkha engineers.
The shelter kits consist of plastic sheeting, rope and rope tensioners which will each keep a family of five sheltered from increasingly wet weather in Nepal. The solar lanterns provide lighting and a means of charging phones, radios and torches. Greening also said that the UK Government would match the first £5 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Earthquake Appeal.
Greening said, “A swift and effective UK response to the Nepal earthquake means help is already reaching all those affected by this terrible disaster. But as the devastating scale of the crisis becomes clearer, we are stepping up our efforts. In Nepal, vulnerable people are sleeping out in the open, their homes destroyed. An RAF C-17 loaded with humanitarian supplies, vital shelter kits, and Gurkha engineers is being deployed, to help thousands of people affected by the disaster.
UK’s response to the earthquake in Nepal includes a £5 million package, including £3 million released under the Rapid Response Facility (RRF) and £2 million for the British Red Cross; the deployment of eight disaster response specialists from the UK, as well as a team of search and rescue responders and medical experts; and consular assistance to British nationals who have been caught up in this disaster and a crisis hotline for those concerned about friends or family.
UK government is providing consular assistance to British nationals caught in the disaster. For assistance call FCO on +44 (0) 207 008 0000.
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said, “Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff are continuing to work round the clock to identify and assist British nationals in Nepal.
“We’ve got a British Army Gurkha team which was on Everest and is trekking down the mountain and identifying and reporting British Nationals on the way as they go. We’ve also got Gurkhas from the Gurkha Training Base in Nepal who are assisting the local authorities.”
