South Asian diaspora raises over $200,000 for New Zealanders missing in Nepal flood
(From left) Suhasini Reddy, Mihir Patel and Kinnari Patel. (Supplied photo)
"I'm so proud of the Indian community here who...supported us, saying it is not a Nepal problem but our problem."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says police are supporting the families of five New Zealanders who remain missing after August's catastrophic flash flood at the Nepal-China border.
A massive flash flood, believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse, tore through a Himalayan valley on 26 August, burying villages.
The disaster killed more than 1,300 people, with at least 5,000 others unaccounted for, according to latest reports on both sides of the border.
In New Zealand, community groups have raised more than $200,000 for the flood victims, according to former honorary consul for Nepal Dinesh Khadka.
"I'm so proud of the Indian community here who ... supported us, saying it is not a Nepal problem but our problem," Khadka said.
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He said about 80 per cent of the donations had come from New Zealand's Indian community.
Last week, the Nepali community raised $100,000 through a fundraising dinner at the Freemans Bay Community Centre in Auckland.
The Central Sikh Association donated $50,000 to Nepal that same night.
Earlier this month, Gurdwara Shri Dashmesh Darbaar Sahib in Papatoetoe pledged $15,000, which was matched by the New Zealand Indian Central Association.
Shiv Mandir in Manurewa donated $4000, while Manurewa Local Board member Marshal Ahluwalia and National Party Manurewa candidate Ghouse Majeed donated $7500.
Khadka said the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand had pledged $5000, which would be directly deposited into Nepal's Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund.
Other fundraising events included a dosa event in Māngere organised by Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam on 5 September, and a fundraising dinner organised by the Nepal-New Zealand Friendship Society of Canterbury in Rolleston on 12 September.
A similar dinner was organised by the Waikato Indian Association and Nepal-New Zealand Waikato Friendship Society in Hamilton on 9 September, while the Taranaki Nepalese Community is planning a fundraising dinner in New Plymouth on 26 September.
He said the fundraising was a temporary effort to support people who had lost everything in the floods.
"Nepal will take decades to rebuild and whatever we raise now will go to the people who are in most need right now," he said.
Khadka said more fundraising events were being planned across New Zealand.
Next week, Wellington Mutamizh Sangam's youth wing will hold a youth festival to raise funds for Nepal, while the Indian Film Festival in October has also pledged to support fundraising efforts for the country, with a Nepali film included in its programme.
Khadka said the response had shown him how much New Zealanders cared about Nepal.
"Wherever we go, I see New Zealanders approaching me and asking how they can support Nepal," he said.
"That makes me proud of New Zealand and how lucky we are to be called New Zealanders."
Khadka also warned that some organisations were using the disaster to make money.
"It is very sad to see that there are organisations who are raising money but it doesn't reach the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, so my request to people who are donating their hard-earned money is to make sure that you donate through the right channels," he said.
Khadka said he was receiving regular updates from Nepal Police, who were doing their best to recover bodies and search for survivors.
"More than 1400 bodies [have] already [been] found but they're looking through the rubble and buildings to find more than 5000 bodies or even survivors," he said.
Khadka said he did not have an update on the missing New Zealanders.
Five New Zealanders remain missing following the deadly flash floods: Dejan Kuzmic, Shweta Mhatre, Mihir Patel, Kinnari Patel and Suhasini Reddy.
More than 300 foreign nationals have been rescued, according to an update from Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.
No New Zealanders have been included in that number.
RNZ understands Mhatre and Kuzmic were part of the Isha Foundation's pilgrimage, and Sadhguru had previously said two New Zealanders were missing from his trekking group.
Meanwhile, Reddy's family has called on rescuers not to stop searching for the 44-year-old after conflicting reports about her status emerged online.
Reddy's brother Rajeev and his wife Lauren urged people to keep searching for survivors in a Facebook post several weeks ago.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said New Zealand's consular response team in Kathmandu was engaged with local authorities and the Nepalese Government.
"However, challenges on the ground mean that new, verified information will continue to take time to emerge."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said New Zealand had extended an offer of technical expertise to aid Nepal's response effort in addition to humanitarian assistance worth $3.5 million to support the humanitarian response.
(This story was first published on rnz.co.nz)
