Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
New Zealand’s Ambassador to Nepal says it may take time before definitive answers emerge about the fate of five New Zealanders still missing after catastrophic flash flooding devastated parts of the Himalayan nation.
Speaking with Stuff reporter Lisette Reymer, Ambassador Patrick Rata said New Zealand officials were working closely with Nepalese authorities to establish what had happened to the missing Kiwis and to ensure any verified information reached families as quickly as possible.
“We are doing everything we can to engage the authorities so that when we have information that could be relevant, that we get that information, that we share it down to the families in the first instance,” Rata said.
The floods have left a trail of destruction across affected communities, with homes buried under thick layers of mud and debris. The scale of the disaster, combined with the challenges of accessing remote mountain regions, has complicated efforts to gather information and conduct search operations.
Rata said establishing reliable channels with local authorities remained a priority.
“It’s very important that we establish the right connections. It’s setting up the right systems, making people here in Nepal know that we are focused on this, that we need information, that it’s a priority for us,” he told Reymer.
While he has not personally spoken with the families of the missing New Zealanders, Rata sought to reassure them that the search for answers continues.
“It’s difficult to get to the affected region. There are challenges once you get there,” he said.
As Nepal grapples with the aftermath of the disaster, New Zealand has committed approximately $3.5 million in humanitarian assistance. The aid is being delivered through organisations including the Red Cross in Nepal and the World Food Programme, with additional support provided by New Zealand non-government organisations working alongside local partners.
The assistance is focused on urgent needs such as clean water, sanitation, shelter, and support for vulnerable communities, including children.
Rata said the response reflects the longstanding friendship between New Zealand and Nepal, a relationship that traces its roots to the historic Mount Everest ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
“I think that relationship, the partnership they had to have when they made that famous ascent, has translated today into a modern relationship that New Zealand has with Nepal; that is about friendship, it’s about mutual respect and it’s about cooperation.”
For the families of the five missing New Zealanders, however, the wait continues as authorities work through difficult conditions in one of the country’s hardest-hit regions.
Source: Interview conducted by Stuff reporter Lisette Reymer with New Zealand Ambassador to Nepal Patrick Rata.
