MFA Press Release: Transcript of Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli's reply to Parliamentary Questions and Supplementary Questions, 11 May 2015

Questions:

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on the assistance that Singapore has rendered to Nepal following the earthquake on 25 April 2015.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs what is the assistance which Singapore has rendered to Nepal to help Nepal recover from the recent earthquake that took place on 25 April 2015.

Reply:

Madam Speaker,

1                   Within hours of receiving the shocking and sad news, the Singapore government mobilised a disaster relief team for deployment to Nepal in aid of relief efforts.  The Home Team mounted its largest-ever deployment for an overseas disaster relief operation.  The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) formed “Operation Lionheart (Nepal, Earthquake)” – the 14^th such Lionheart mission – comprising a 60-member search-and-rescue team.  In addition, a 66-member strong Singapore Police Force (SPF) contingent, including Gurkha Contingent (GC) officers, was also deployed to Nepal.  Over the course of the deployment, the SCDF and SPF contingents operated in several areas in Nepal, such as Lalitpur district around Kathmandu, Pokhara and Gorkha.  The SCDF and SPF contingents worked with the Nepalese authorities and other foreign teams to provide humanitarian assistance, including search-and-rescue, relief aid and medical assistance, to the affected people, with the GC officers helping to facilitate relief operations as they were familiar with the language, terrain and local communities.  MFA also despatched a four-person Crisis Response Team to Kathmandu to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans stranded in Nepal.  Our Embassy in New Delhi also sent an officer to support the team subsequently.

2                   At the same time, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) immediately mobilised a joint medical team of 22 personnel and an advance team of six personnel from the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Coordination Centre or RHCC.  C-130 aircraft were also deployed to airlift the personnel, equipment and relief supplies into Kathmandu.

3                   A further six personnel from the Changi RHCC were deployed together with additional medical supplies.  Eight members of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces and seven members from the Ministry of Health were also deployed together with the SAF’s medical team.  The combined medical team, to date, treated more than 3,000 patients.  The RHCC assisted Nepalese national disaster management authorities and military with their efforts to coordinate the relief efforts.  11 sorties have been flown in and out of Kathmandu by the Republic of Singapore Air Force, transporting more than 100 tonnes of equipment and relief supplies, various Singapore contingents, as well as evacuating Singaporeans from Nepal.

4                   Madam Speaker, the officers involved in this disaster relief effort have worked tirelessly, often times under trying conditions.  I would like to express my appreciation to all of them for their dedication and hard work, and to their family members for their support.

5                   In addition to mobilising our assets, the Singapore government contributed a total of S$250,000 through the Singapore Red Cross (SRC).  An initial S$100,000 was given as seed money to help kick-start the SRC donation drive.  However, as news of the severity and scale of the disaster became clearer, and there were increasing calls for international aid, we increased our contribution by another S$150,000, to support SRC’s efforts to purchase emergency supplies.  To date, SRC has raised more than S$4.5 million, sent 14 personnel, including two medical teams with a total of 11 personnel, and S$200,000 worth of emergency supplies and relief items including food, household kits and shelter tool kits to Nepal.

6                   This financial contribution complements the on-going efforts by Singaporeans and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) to raise funds for the relief efforts in Nepal.  Many Singaporeans have been moved by the tragedy.  They have dug deep into their pockets and contributed generously. Other NGOs including Mercy Relief and religious organisations have also raised more than S$800,000 to date, many of them mounting medical and humanitarian missions to Nepal.  The government of Nepal has expressed appreciation for Singapore’s assistance and support to Nepal and the Nepalese people.

7                   Madam Speaker, I would like to assure the house that in the midst of these relief efforts, the government also spared no effort in looking after the welfare of Singaporeans affected by the disaster in Nepal.  MFA’s Crisis Response Team arrived in Kathmandu within a day to assist Singaporeans wishing to return home.  MINDEF facilitated the return of 71 Singaporeans, along with 24 other nationals, on the returning C-130 aircraft.  Throughout the crisis, MFA continued to reach out to Singaporeans in Nepal to render assistance, and within five days of the earthquake, accounted for the safety of all Singaporeans who eRegistered with MFA.

8                   Madam Speaker, one takeaway for me from this crisis is: Help us to help yourselves.  I would therefore like to take this opportunity to encourage Singaporeans travelling overseas to eRegister so that we can contact you or your Next-of-Kin promptly in the event of a crisis.

9                   As for Mr Ang’s question of what assistance Singapore has rendered to help Nepal recover, at present, international efforts are still focused on disaster relief and humanitarian aid.  We will continue to do what is within our means to assist and support Nepal during this difficult time.

10              Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I would also like to express our deepest condolences to the government and people of Nepal during this difficult period, and to extend comfort to the families of our Gurkha contingent in Singapore.

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Transcript of Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli's Replies to Supplementary Questions, 11 May 2015

Speaker: Ms Irene Ng.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Thank you Madam.  It is heartening to see how readily Singapore responded to the disaster in Nepal.  I would like to ask the Minister, now that the disaster relief phase is coming to an end, how will Singapore contribute to the long-term reconstruction phase that follows.  Nepal is one of the poorest and least-developed countries in the world, and needs international support to carry on its work to reconstruct the whole area, the whole country.  Singapore has expertise in these areas, especially in master-planning and housing.  Can I ask the Minister if Singapore will be contributing to the reconstruction efforts in Nepal.

Minister: Basically, the disaster in Nepal has taken a very big toll on the Nepalese as well as on the country.  At this point in time, as I mentioned, an assessment has not been made.  The Nepalese are still asking for help in humanitarian aid, and the outpouring has not been coordinated.  Until such time, we do not want to pre-empt the kind of aid that is needed.  In the same way too, when the relief and rescue work was done, not everything that went into the place were things that the Nepalese needed.  So when the international community comes together to help them with reconstruction, Singapore will do our part to contribute expertise in a way that we can, and not overextend ourselves, so that we do not overreach what we can do as a nation.  But we should also not discount the public in Singapore, and NGOs such as Mercy Relief as well as SRC, to extend their help also, in the development and rebuilding of Nepal.

Speaker: Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Mr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Thank you Speaker.  Thank you, Minister, for the comprehensive reply.  First, I want to offer my condolences to the Nepal citizens who have lost their loved ones in this earthquake, and also to thank our Singapore team members – SPF officers, SCDF officers and SAF officers – for doing a great job in Nepal, and also for ferrying back the Singaporeans who were affected in Nepal.  I understand Minister’s answer, that we will look at what kind of effort we can provide Nepal in the rebuilding.  But specially, I would like to ask Minister to consider things like what we had done in Aceh, in rebuilding part of the destroyed areas, and also to help them to recover their lives.  Second, I would like to ask the Minister how did MFA keep in touch with the Singapore Mount Everest climbing team after the 25 April earthquake.  What advice did MFA give to the team when the team initially decided to carry on with the climb, despite the extensive damage in Kathmandu and the avalanche in the mountainous areas.  I understand that the team only decided to end the mission on 29 April, four days after the earthquake.  Thank you.

Minister: I thank the member for the question.  As I mentioned, I think it is too early to pre-empt the kind of aid that we should be giving to Nepal, or whether to scale it to the kind of aid that we gave to Aceh.  But clearly, even in Aceh, all our NGOs played a very big part, because they were our good neighbours, they had connections, and sometimes NGOs can do better job than governments.  In terms of the expedition by Singaporeans who went there, they were in very close touch with the authorities, as well as their base communications.  At times, they have also communicated personally with me, and I assured them that if they needed to get help, if they had the wherewithal to do it, they will be supported.  You must remember that the Everest base camp was also part of the disaster area.  Many people, climbers, also died there.  It was a very difficult terrain.  Despite that, arrangements were made, they came out, went back to Kathmandu, and they are back in Singapore.  So I am really thankful for the effort that they had made to fly the Singapore flag, to get up to the Everest peak, to celebrate SG50.  Unfortunately they did not achieve it; but in the process, they knew what was more important, to keep safe to make sure that they can come back safely and without harm to themselves, and hopefully one day can pursue their dreams.

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