WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism introduced a resolution today offering support for Nepal and its neighbors in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that struck the region on Saturday.

The resolution also applauds the rapid mobilization by the Department of State, USAID, and the Department of Defense in quickly and effectively marshaling resources and responding to both the short and long-term needs in Nepal.

“The people of Nepal and South Asia must know that in their hour of need, the United States is providing assistance to the region and that engagement will only continue. We can only imagine their anguish and pain,” said Senator Cardin. “Communities are devastated, children have been left orphaned, the humanitarian situation is worsening, and Nepal requires a robust international response so that it can heal, rebuild, and recover.”

“As the people of Nepal and South Asia deal with the devastating effects of this natural disaster, they should know that the thoughts, prayers, and resources of the American people go out to them,” said Senator Risch. “Like so many Americans, the people of Idaho are working to provide supplies and relief to the people of Nepal during this time. We will continue our efforts to support Nepal and the region in the coming days and months as they work to recover and rebuild.”

The resolution appears below.

S.RES.

Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the April 25, 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

RESOLUTION

Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the April 25, 2015 earthquake in Nepal.

Whereas, on April 25, 2015, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale and its aftershocks devastated Kathmandu, Nepal and the surrounding areas, killing thousands, injuring thousands more people, and leaving many thousands of people homeless;

Whereas, the earthquake also resulted in the loss of life and destruction of property in India, Bangladesh and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China;

Whereas, Americans citizens were also killed in the wide scale destruction caused by the earthquake;

Whereas Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, has an estimated 25% of the population living on less than $1.25 a day, has an estimated 46% unemployment rate with majority of the population engaged in subsistence agriculture, and has one of the slowest economic growth rates in the region;

Whereas years of civil conflict led to a massive influx of people into urban areas despite the absence of appropriate facilities, roads, housing and infrastructure to support them;

Whereas political gridlock since the end of hostilities among the national leadership to finalize a constitution has stymied growth and development;

Whereas, the loss of infrastructure will further inhibit economic growth in this impoverished nation;

Whereas, the United States has worked with the Government of Nepal on disaster risk reduction and earthquake preparedness for years which certainly saved many lives and accelerated Nepal’s ability to respond;

Whereas, the United States and the international community are mounting a large scale response and recovery effort; and

Whereas, USAID is leading the U.S. response providing a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), funding, and Urban Search and Rescue experts.

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate--

(1) expresses profound sympathy to, and unwavering support for, the people of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China, who have always shown resilience and now face catastrophic conditions in the aftermath of the April 25, 2015 earthquake, and sympathy for the families of the American citizens who perished in this disaster;

(2) applauds the rapid and concerted mobilization by President Obama to provide immediate emergency humanitarian assistance to Nepal and the hard work and dedication of the people at the Department of State, USAID, and Department of Defense in quickly marshaling United States Government resources to address both the short- and long-term needs in Nepal;

(3) urges that all appropriate efforts be made to secure the safety of Nepal’s orphans;

(4) urges that all appropriate efforts be made to sustain recovery assistance to Nepal beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis to support the Nepalese people with appropriate humanitarian, developmental, and infrastructure assistance needed to overcome the effects of the earthquake;

(5) expresses appreciation for the international community's ongoing and renewed commitment to Nepal’s recovery and development;

(6)  urges all nations to commit to assisting the people of Nepal with their long-term needs;

(7) calls on the Nepalese government to take all necessary actions to enable a faster and more sustainable recovery; and

(8) expresses support for the United States Embassy team in Kathmandu, members of the USAID DART Team, and other United States Government agencies and the American NGO community who are valiantly working to assist thousands of Nepalese under extremely adverse conditions.

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