Kathmandu: Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has made an urgent plea for vaccines to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Nepal grapples to contain the second Covid-19 wave.
Speaking to the BBC, Oli said it was Britain’s responsibility given the historic ties the nations share, adding that the sacrifices of Nepal’s Gurkha soldiers serving the UK should make Nepal a priority for UK Covid aid.
“I want to convince the UK Government, particularly Prime Minister Boris Johnson, about the situation in Nepal and how we are suffering,” said Oli.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told the BBC it “stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nepal during this pandemic” and was “one of the first countries to send health experts and life-saving medical equipment to Nepal”.
“The UK is a leading donor to COVAX, the international initiative to procure and distribute vaccines equitably,” the spokesperson told BBC, “We have committed £548 million to the scheme that will provide more than a billion vaccines to developing countries, including Nepal, this year.”
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