August 24: Japan has provided the first shipment of emergency relief goods for the flood victims of Nepal.

Japanese ambassador to Nepal Masashi Ogawa handed over the relief materials to Home Minister Janardan Sharma at the Humanitarian Staging Area of Tribhuvan International Airport on Wednesday, August 23.

The first shipment of emergency relief goods that arrived on Wednesday includes 3,000 blankets, 100 plastic sheets, 2,000 sleeping pads, 100 tents  and

10 water tanks, weighing almost 10.4 tons, reads a press statement issued by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The statement further said that the relief materials were sent by the Japanese government in response to the damages caused by heavy  rainfall since August 11 in the southern parts of Nepal. JICA said the relief supplies provided are worth around 25 million Japanese yen (about NRs 23.4 million).

During the occasion, Ogawa extended his heartfelt condolences to the victims of the unfortunate natural disaster and said, “The Japanese Government and Japanese citizens have not forgotten the friendship and compassion given to Japan during the great east Japan earthquake in March 2011 and the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016 by the government and people of Nepal. Likewise, the Japanese Government and JICA are happy to be able to implement emergency assistance ahead of other governments and international organizations, which is an indication of the cordial relationship between our respective governments and citizens.”

The Government of Japan sincerely hopes that these goods will be delivered promptly to the victims and will someway help in improving the lives of those affected and that restoration work will go ahead steadily in the disaster-affected areas and the victims will be able to go back to their normal and peaceful lives as quickly as possible, reads the statement.