PM expresses concern about quality of relief supplies

KATHMANDU: Expressing concern about the distribution of substandard, and inedible in some cases, food and beverages to the quake victims, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has drawn the attention of multilateral agencies to the quality of relief supplies.

Of late reports have been rife that food, beverages and medicines supplied by the World Food Programme and other agencies to the quake-hit areas for the victims of the disaster were substandard and inedible.

While receiving United Nations Under-Secretary-General Gyan Chandra Acharya and President of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Tadateru Konoe separately at his official residence in Baluwatar today, PM Koirala stated that quality of food and medicines should not be compromised, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

Prime Minister Koirala thanked the United Nations and the IFRC for their support in the relief operations in Nepal following the April 25 quake. Acharya and Konoe are in Kathmandu to take part in the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction 2015, which is being held in Kathmandu tomorrow. Acharya hailed Nepal’s search, rescue and relief operations after the quakes. He informed Prime Minister Koirala that the UN is working to provide necessary resources that Nepal needs for relief and reconstruction.

UN Residential Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick, who accompanied Acharya, observed that Nepal has made a significant progress in the statute-drafting with the signing of the 16-point deal and shared his belief that the political transition in the country would end soon, the statement added.