At a programme organised on Friday at Prime Minister’s residence at Baluwatar, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae handed over a cheque for Rs 47.739 million to Prime Minister Sushil Koirala for relief and resettlement of the victims of recent landslides and floods.

India remains committed to working closely with Nepal for further cooperation in the field of water resources, including preventing and mitigating damage from natural disasters that do not recognise borders, said a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu. Similarly, the US Mission in Nepal, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will contribute more than $450,000 in food assistance to the UN World Food Programme in Nepal to support existing flood and landslide relief efforts by the government and other humanitarian aid partners.

The US contribution will enable the World Food Programme to purchase approximately 450 metric tonnes of locally and regionally produced rice, legumes and other important food commodities, said a statement issued by the US Embassy. “This will meet the food needs for about 40,000 flood-affected individuals in the most severely flooded districts of Bardiya, Banke, Kailali, Surkhet and Dang for just over a month,” said the statement.

“On behalf of the American people, I offer our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and to those rendered homeless in the recent flooding and landslides.  We will continue to work with the Government of Nepal and other humanitarian agencies to provide further assistance as needed,” said Peter W Bodde, the US ambassador to Nepal. To assist farmers affected by the landslides and floods in the Mid- and Far-Western districts, the US government, through USAID, has also pledged to help up to 3,000 farmers purchase seeds and tools to rebuild their livelihoods and better prepare for the next agriculture season.

Earlier this month, the US government granted $50,000 to the Nepal Red Cross Society to restock the pre-positioned non-food relief items.

Similarly, Siddartha Bank, Civil Bank, Apex College and Shangrila Management and Hotel Training Centre also contributed to the relief fund. Siddartha Bank provided Rs 1 million, Civil Bank Rs 5,75,000, Apex College Rs 1,1111 and

Sangrila Management and Training Center Rs 30,000 to the fund.