Humanitarian Aid For Nepal is Form of AAC Solidarity: Minister

Jakarta, April 29 (Antara) - Indonesia's humanitarian aid for the victims of Saturday's earthquake in Nepal is a form of solidarity underscored by the Asian-African Conference (AAC), according to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Speaking at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport on Wednesday, Retno said the Indonesian Government has dispatched a humanitarian aid and evacuation team to Nepal. "Solidarity among Asian and African countries was one of the topics discussed in the AAC several days ago. We are extending this humanitarian aid in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Nepal," she noted. The Indonesian Government has sent 69 personnel from many parties, such as the Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian Military, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, and several social organizations. Among the personnel, 19 are medical workers, including two general physicians from the military, two anesthetists, and two orthopedists. The Indonesian Government has not only sent a team but has also dispatched post-disaster emergency requirements such as tents, blankets, medicines, medical equipment, and ready-to-serve foods. The team has two main missions: to evacuate Indonesian citizens in Nepal and to deliver humanitarian aid, Retno remarked. "The Indonesian Government and people will stand together with the government and people of Nepal in these hard times," she stated. According to the Foreign Ministry's data, there are currently some 76 Indonesian citizens in Nepal; of them, 19 are permanent residents and 57 are tourists. The death toll from the devastating 7.9-magnitude earthquake in Nepal has reached 4,300 and more than 8,500 people have been injured. Officials have not been able to estimate how many bodies are buried under the debris, which means the death toll could cross 4,349, a figure announced by the country's National Emergency Operation Center on Tuesday morning. The earthquake, which also triggered a massive avalanche on Mount Everest killing at least 18 people, was the deadliest to hit Nepal since a 1934 temblor that claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.