Australia To Allocate Extra US$2 Mln To Those Affected By Floods In Nepal - Defence Ministry

MOSCOW, Aug 31 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- Australia will allocate an additional A$3 million (about US$2.1 million) to those affected by the floods on the border between Nepal and China, bringing the total amount of humanitarian aid to A$8 million (about US$5.7 million), the Defence Ministry said, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

"The Australian Government is deploying a further A$3 million in humanitarian assistance, the second tranche of our ongoing support for response and recovery following the devastating floods along the Nepal-China border," the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Of the additional funding, about A$1.4 million will be used to purchase essential supplies requested by Nepal, including hygiene kits and solar-powered lighting equipment. The Australian Defence Force will deliver the aid, with the country's air force set to send the first shipments from Queensland in the coming days.

About A$716,000 will be provided to the humanitarian organisation Emergency Action Alliance.

A flash flood hit the northern regions of Nepal on the morning of August 26 after a powerful flow of water from the Chinese side rushed into the Bhote Koshi River. The flood occurred after an earthquake and a resulting landslide. According to the latest data, the death toll has exceeded 700, with more than 2,000 others reported missing.

--BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI