Nepal Declines Foreign Search and Rescue Offers Following Flood Disaster

Nepal has turned down search and rescue assistance offers from several countries, including South Korea, India, and China, following a devastating flood disaster that left nearly 500 people dead and hundreds of foreign nationals missing. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that rescue operations are being successfully carried out by the country's own security forces.

Local Forces on Duty

Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri stated that international aid offers following the flood disaster were natural, but the country's own security forces are conducting the search and rescue operations. Chhetri announced that they do not need foreign assistance at this time.

Missing Foreign Nationals and Offers

While nearly 500 people lost their lives in the flood disaster that hit the Rasuwa region near the Chinese border, hundreds of foreign nationals remain unaccounted for. The governments of India, China, the US, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have applied to Nepal to send search and rescue teams to the region.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that 9 of its citizens working at a hydroelectric power plant are missing, while 10 of its citizens are stranded. The Seoul administration pledged $1 million in humanitarian aid through international organizations, while stating that it will continue negotiations with Nepal regarding the deployment of rescue teams.

Claims of Regional Sensitivity

Nepal's former Ambassador to the United Nations, Dinesh Bhattarai, suggested that behind the government's rejection of foreign teams could be sensitivities arising from the flood-affected Rasuwa region being located on China's Tibet border.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Chhetri, however, rejected these claims, emphasizing that the decision has nothing to do with border sensitivity with China and is entirely due to Nepal's own rescue teams managing the operations.