Nepalis in Hubei long to come home

Kathmandu, Feb. 2

More than 180 Nepalis in various cities of Hubei province in China have responded to the call of the Nepali Embassy in Beijing to apply for 'return to the home country'.

The embassy had on Saturday asked Nepalis in Hubei province if they wanted to go back to Nepal. Wuhan city, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, is in Hubei and hosts 190 Nepali students.

"The embassy in Beijing is coordinating with the Chinese government to operate evacuation operation from Wuhan and surrounding cities in Hubei province," said Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Bharat Raj Poudyal.

He said that the government was planning evacuate Nepalis from all the cities in Hubei. The Nepali Embassy in the Chinese capital has urged Nepali nationals in the affected cities to fill up a form if they wanted to be evacuated.

"The plans for a special chartered flight are being worked out, and details will be shared as soon as they are available," said the embassy. The embassy was in touch with the Nepali citizens in China via WeChat group and trying to console those trapped in the cities in Hubei due to coronavirus outbreak.

The government has decided to send two aeroplanes, one each of Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines. to rescue Nepalis from Hubei.

Since China has shut all the cities with almost total closure human and vehicular movement and shops, schools and other facilities, people in the cities affected by coronavirus are facing various difficulties to survive on their own.

"But the situation is not as grave as being rumoured and no Nepalis have been infected with the virus so far," said Poudyal.

The ministry has initiated diplomatic communication with the northern neighbour asking it to cooperate in moving Nepalis from their area of residence to the airport.

The embassy is in the process to collect the data of individuals wanting to move back to Nepal and coordinating with the Chinese government to bring them to Wuhan where they will be tested for possible coronavirus infection and those who come clean of the virus would be allowed to come to Nepal.

The government has created standby teams to fight with the coronavirus and special cells are made ready at the Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Bir Hospital and other health facilities.

Nepal had got one case of coronavirus infection, but the individual, a South Korea returnee, is cured and allowed to stay with his family. However, he is still under medical observation by the doctors.

Coronavirus first surface in Wuhan in December-end last year and has claimed the lives of 305 people in China so far. The virus is confirmed to be found in 25 countries and more than 14,000 people have been infected.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 3 February 2020.