Singapore humanitarian aid reaches flood-hit Nepal with medical supplies, DNA test kits
The aid package includes equipment to support search, recovery and disaster victim identification.
On September 10, Singapore's humanitarian aid reached Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, at 8am (10.15am Singapore time) to aid the flood-stricken nation. The S$560,000 aid package consisted of medical supplies, DNA test kits, and personal protective equipment. Nepal's Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun received the assistance.
The disaster, caused by an ice shelf collapse, claimed nearly 1,400 lives and left over 5,000 missing. A Singaporean Crisis Response Team has been aiding Nepal since August 27 in locating the missing. On September 4, SPF officers with expertise in Disaster Victim Identification and aerial surveillance joined the effort. Hundreds of bodies have been found downstream, necessitating DNA analysis for identification.
DNA samples are being collected by Nepal's police and forensic labs, with support from forensic teams from China, India, South Korea, and Singapore. Assistant Commissioner of Police Eugene Wang, leading the SPF's DVI team in Nepal, expressed their commitment to identifying victims of all nationalities to provide comfort and relief to the affected families.
The humanitarian package, delivered on September 10, symbolized the close relationship between Singapore and Nepal, aiming to support the rescue and identification efforts while standing ready to provide further aid based on Nepal's requirements, as stated by Gan Siow Huang, Singapore's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
