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By Ameya Sathaye, Editor-in-Chief, Diplomacyindia.com & V. N. Jha, Strategic Affairs Editor, Diplomacyindia.com
Delhi, Apr 30 The Netherlands has praised India for its ‘enormous’ support and relief operations in Nepal which was tormented by a severe earthquake on Saturday leaving thousands dead and many more injured.
“India is very much present all over… ground and air, carrying out rescue and relief operations…supplying medicine and food. India is playing an important role in this crisis,” Netherland Ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga told Diplomacyindia.com in an exclusive video Interview
He was here to oversee the relief and rescue operations being carried out by his country in Nepal.
“We are very happy about the support we received from Indian side,” he said, adding that the Netherlands had pressed four search and and rescue teams comprising 62 people and contributed four million dollars towards the UN relief fund.
Ambassador Stoelinga said one Royal Netherlands Air Force plane had immediately left for Nepal on the search and rescue mission soon after they had learnt about the earthquake. Another three planes, including one Belgian plane with 50 trained relief workers, were also sent to join relief operations. Several persons were evacuated from the stricken ares. The first 50 Dutch evacuates were brought to India from Nepal on Monday and they were flown to Netherlands on Tuesday.
“I must tell you in both operations, the activities to assist Nepal but also the activities to bring back our nationals we had enormous support from India side and also in Nepal, that included all the permissions.”
Pledging Dutch support in providing aid to Nepal, he said the rescue teams were working under the UN system since Dutch did not have its own people to manage such an operation.