'Want continued goodwill, support from international community': Nepal Foreign Minister

Nepal Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat on Tuesday called for continued support and goodwill from the international community in rebuilding the earthquake ravaged country.

"This is a big loss to the economy, the countryside has been devastated. We are, at the moment, in rescue type of operation and relief operation. Once this phase is over, the need for massive rehabilitation, reconstruction will be required, involving billions of dollars," Dr Mahat told ANI.

"That's why we need international support, that is what the Prime Minister (Sushil Koirala) was trying to indicate. We want to receive continued goodwill and support from the international community," he added.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as 'a great help', Dr. Mahat pointed out that the former was held in high esteem because of his personal concern in the matter.

"He has been a great friend, he has been a great help. He has offered assistance in the past and he has promised more support. We hold him in high esteem because he has taken personal concern in Nepal matters," he said.

Saturday's earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 people and was one of the worst calamities suffered by Nepal in over 80 years.

There is an acute shortage of food, water, electricity and medicines in Nepal. Locals in Kathmandu and other adjoining areas are spending their nights out in the open over fears of another earthquake.

Hundreds of people are still trapped under tonnes of rubble in Kathmandu and some of the worst-affected remote mountainous areas in the country.

India is doing everything possible to maximise the relief and minimise the tribulations faced by people of the neighbouring nation.

More than 700 disaster relief experts drawn from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed by India, which has mounted massive relief operations as part of 'Operation Maitri'. Relief material weighing 8,200 kilograms were distributed by choppers and the Indian Air Force.

India has also sent a team of senior officials from the ministries of Home, Defence, External Affairs and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to co-ordinate the rescue and relief operations. The team is monitoring the evacuation of stranded Indians in Nepal. Nearly

5,400 Indians have been brought back so far.