Northern Virginia, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : A prayer vigil was held in Northern Virginia for the victims of the devastating floods in Nepal, where families continue to mourn their loved ones. Attendees lit candles in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the disaster. Among those present was U.S. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who expressed deep concern over the situation.
In an interview, Subramanyam noted the uncertainty surrounding the number of missing individuals and the ongoing search efforts. “We still don’t have a clear picture of what has happened or who is unaccounted for. With so much time passed, we are now hoping for miracles or at least some definitive answers for the families,” he said.
Discussing the challenges faced by rescue and relief operations, he remarked that the situation is complicated by Nepal’s record-keeping issues and the local authorities’ heavy involvement in the arduous relief efforts. He also highlighted China’s role in the situation, mentioning that information sharing is often limited, which adds to the complexity of the crisis.
Subramanyam revealed that local leaders are working with him to pressure the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense to provide the latest equipment to the teams involved in the relief efforts. “They now have access to these tools, but that wasn’t the case initially, which is tragic. Now that the necessary equipment has arrived, we want the search and rescue operations to be conducted thoroughly and seriously,” he added.
He stressed the importance of taking preventative measures against future disasters, pointing out recent cuts in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funding. “We have reduced funding for programs that predict and mitigate natural disasters. This could have long-term repercussions, not just for this incident, but for many other disasters worldwide. We should have invested in these programs, but instead, funding has been cut,” Subramanyam stated.
While he aimed to keep the discussion non-political, he emphasized the need for resources to minimize the impact of future disasters. “At the very least, we should have early warning systems in place to alert people to dangers in a timely manner, allowing them to reach safe locations. Unfortunately, the critical programs that were designed to develop and implement such warning systems are among those that have seen funding reductions,” he concluded.
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