Singapore sends humanitarian aid with medical supplies to Nepal

On Sept 4, the Singapore Police Force (SPF), supported by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency and the Health Sciences Authority, deployed officers specialising in Disaster Victim Identification and aerial surveillance to assist Nepali authorities.

Hundreds of victims’ bodies have been found washed downstream far from their home districts. The Nepal government is working to temporarily bury them in marked locations after extracting DNA for identification.

Nepal’s police and forensic labs have been collecting DNA from the relatives of the thousands missing in order to match them with the victims. The DNA analysis is being done with the support of forensic teams from China, India, South Korea and Singapore.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Eugene Wang, the commander of the SPF’s Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) team in Nepal, told The Straits Times: “We are here to help in the collective effort to identify the victims so that we can bring reconciliation and relief to the families.”

He also said that his team’s mission is to help identify victims of all nationalities, not just Singaporeans.

The humanitarian package that arrived on Sept 10 also included specialised equipment to support ongoing search, recovery and disaster victim identification efforts.

“The humanitarian assistance package that we are handing over today is a testament to the close relationship between our two countries. We hope that our modest contribution will support the brave men and women on the ground, and bring comfort and relief to the people who are affected by this tragedy. We stand ready to provide further support in accordance with Nepal’s needs,” said Gan Siow Huang, Singapore’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Trade and Industry, in a statement.