LONDON (AP) – There is still time to save lives – that’s why governments and aid agencies Sunday rushed doctors, volunteers and equipment to Nepal without waiting for the dust to settle.
Substantial logistical hurdles remain, but there were hopeful signs as Kathmandu’s international airport reopened after Saturday’s crushing earthquake, and some aid vehicles were able to travel overland from Indian to the stricken Nepalese city of Pokhara.
“That means supplies could potentially come in overland from India. That is a positive sign,” said Ben Pickering, Save the Children’s humanitarian adviser in Britain. “The airport opening is a small miracle.”
He cautioned that chaotic conditions may create a bottleneck at the airport as governments and aid agencies try to bring in personnel and supplies in the coming days.
There is still a dearth of information about conditions at the epicenter of the earthquake, he said, and is not clear which roads are passable.