Political allegiance underlying Nepal earthquake aid

Barely 24 hours after the April 25 earthquake devastated Nepal, the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA) rescue team slipped quietly across the border into Nepal. It was the first time this Beijing-based not-for-profit aid organisation, which claims to be funded by Chinese business and private donations, had worked in Nepal - although it's been involved in humanitarian aid in many of the world's disaster zones, including Haiti, Chile, Indonesia, Africa and Myanmar. One month later, in his Tamil hotel room in downtown Kathmandu, Wang Peng, CFPA Director of the Disaster Relief Programme looks exhausted. Lighting a cigarette, he explains his team initially began search and rescue operations along the China - Nepal highway, one of the areas hardest hit by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake and its hundreds of aftershocks. "We located 17 bodies," he said simply. With the search and rescue phase complete, his team went on to provide 1,353 medical consultations, 59,331 free meals and distributed 20,000kg of rice to remote villages. They also relocated more than 2,000 displaced people from the Zhangmu border region to a new 110-tent city in Bode, Bhaktapur. The NGO's work was so highly regarded that Nepal's Prime Minister Sushil Koirala officially opened CFPA's camp city on May 22. The complex has running water, kitchens, electricity, medical services and school tents - one of three school locations CFPA supports. For Wang Peng, the job has only just started. Over the next 6-12 months, CFPA will train local NGOs to manage the camp with the aim of transitioning traumatised families back to their communities when the monsoons end and homes are rebuilt. In Kathmandu, another distinctive blue and white tent city - part of the official Chinese Government aid programme - is testament to China's support for devastated Nepal. Both China and India responded rapidly to the crisis that killed 8,832 people, injured more than 22,000 and displaced nearly three million. While other nations were still swinging into action, the two superpowers delivered field hospitals, air support, rescue workers, food and medical aid. Underlying humanitarian aid however, is another theme - political allegiances. Winning hearts and minds can be tricky. Although immensely grateful for India's rescue efforts, locals didn't appreciate the intrusive nature of the Indian media, sparking Twitter campaign #Gohomeindianmedia. Wedged between India and China, landlocked Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world. With a population of 27 million, it has an average minimum wage of US$78 a month and last year, 25 per cent of its GDP of US$67 billion came from remittances with eight per cent from tourism. The government estimates one third of its GDP has been wiped out by the quake, and the World Bank forecasts the disaster will increase poverty by three per cent - equating to one million more people living below the breadline. Last year, China officially became Nepal's biggest investor, as well as increasing aid from US$24 million to US$128 million in 2015-16. Both India and China contribute significantly to Nepal's ongoing development. Last August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Kathmandu becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to visit in 17 years. While the visit itself was significant, he also announced concessional loans worth US$1 billion for infrastructure development. Just days before the April earthquake, the Nepalese government approved the China Three Gorges International Corporation plan to build a US$1.6 billion hydropower project in Western Nepal. Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, lies west of Kathmandu, close to the Nepal-Indian border. Apart from a 40 per cent drop in tourist numbers, this quiet rural backwater was unaffected by the earthquake. Last November, the Nepal Government signed contracts with the Northwest Civil Aviation Airport Construction Group of China to build a US$60.7 million international airport - the country's second - in Lumbini. Help us by coming with your families and enjoying Nepal...so we can feel we are doing something to earn it ANIL SHAH, NEPAL'S MEGA BANK CHIEF The Asian Development Bank, the South Asia Tourism Infrastructure Development project and the Opec fund for International Development will jointly fund the project. Stage one is scheduled for completion in 2017. When completed, Gautam Buddha Airport will handle up to six million passengers annually - a significant increase in current tourism levels, so it's not surprising that on May 25, Nepal's Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Kripa Sur Sherpa officially backed a plan by Buddhist monk, His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche, to build a non-denominational peace centre, the Mahasiddha Sanctuary for Universal Peace, on part of the world heritage site. Plans for the site will be unveiled on November 1. "I want to create a sanctuary for every peace lover - not for Buddhists, not for Christians, not for Hindus, not for any race, for any colour, any creed. But for all - as a destination for inner and for outer peace," Rinpoche said. The Nepalese government says it needs US$6.7 billion to rebuild the shattered nation, but that figure could be optimistic. Talking at a recent Hong Kong Foreign Correspondent's Club lunch in Hong Kong, Nepalese philanthropist Binod Chaudhary said he believed Nepal needed US$50 billion to rebuild and advance economically. At an international fundraising gathering on June 25, India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said her government would provide US$1 billion towards Nepal's reconstruction. She said Operation Maitri was her country's largest disaster assistance operation. "As the oldest and closest friend, India is ready to stand with Nepal," she said. China has pledged US$500 million, Japan US$260 million, US US$130 million, the European Union US$100 million, the Asia Development Bank US$ 600 million and the World Bank $US 500 million - all falling short of what Nepal needs. Some of the shortfall will be met by generosity of the international community and through private donations. The Hong Kong SAR is providing US$6.45 million while private donors like Alibaba's founder Jack Ma will be funding 1,000 new homes via Chaudhary, Nepal's only billionaire, whose charity, the Chaudhary Foundation, is rebuilding 100 schools and 10,000 houses. His Eminence Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche's and his Hong Kong based charity, the Wencheng Gongzhu International Foundation raised HK$5 million in Hong Kong with the help of actor Ray Lui Leung-Wai and Chinese businesses. Despite international promises of assistance and private donations, the Nepalese government and community leaders want decisions about rebuilding to be in Nepal's hands. Nepal's Mega Bank chief Anil Shah said the nation is highly sensitive about accepting aid. "What you must realise about the Nepali people is we are a nation that has never been colonised - it is very hard for us to put our hand out and say we will just sit back and take your assistance. "Look at Haiti - millions of dollars of rice has gone into Haiti and I still see them standing in line for rice - I don't want my brothers and sisters doing that five years down the line." "We want to say help us by coming with your families and enjoying Nepal. Spend your euros and dollars so we can feel we are doing something to earn it. We know we can't do it alone," Shah said.

Political allegiance underlying Nepal earthquake aid

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}China is working to rebuild Nepal after April's devastating earthquake - but politics and aid are strongly intertwined

China is working to rebuild Nepal after April's devastating earthquake - but politics and aid are strongly intertwined