. | . |
Prince Harry extends Nepal trip to help quake victims by Staff Writers Kathmandu (AFP) March 23, 2016 Britain's Prince Harry announced during an official visit to Nepal Wednesday that he would extend his trip by six days to help rebuild a village school damaged during last year's earthquake. During his stay, the prince met with families still living in camps after a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake last April destroyed their homes and killed nearly 9,000 people. "The people I have met and the beauty of this country make it very hard to leave. Thankfully however, I'm not leaving just yet," he said at a reception hosted by the British Embassy in Kathmandu. "I will be spending the next six days in a remote village with a charity called Team Rubicon. The team I'm joining will be working with a community to rebuild a school damaged in the earthquake." Harry, 31, also visited quake-hit heritage sites and relief projects led by Gurkha soldiers on his first trip to the country, which celebrates 200 years of joint relations between Nepal and Britain. His visit to a makeshift school -- set up after the quake damaged the original building -- coincided with Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, and he joined in celebrations, covering fellow revellers with red powder. The prince's tour also included a night in a village where he was hosted by a Gurkha soldier's widow who lost her home in the quake. "What happened in this country a year ago was a tragic disaster but the people I met showed me that everyone's focused on the work ahead," he said. A member of the British army for 10 years before retiring in June, he served along with Gurkha troops in Afghanistan. The prince had said on his arrival that he hoped his visit, which included a trek in the Himalayas and a trip to Bardia National Park, famous for its tiger conservation efforts, would encourage tourists to travel to the country. "You have to come and walk in the foothills of the Himalayas - watching the sunrise over those majestic mountains is something I will never forget," he said. Following the earthquake, Nepal is desperate to revive tourism including its mountaineering industry, key revenue-earners for the impoverished Himalayan nation. Nepal, a former kingdom, has been visited by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The British army's 2,500-strong Gurkha brigade is made up of soldiers recruited in Nepal and has been part of the military for 200 years.
Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters A world of storm and tempest When the Earth Quakes
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |