KATHMANDU, Nov 8: The government is mulling over stopping the evacuation flights, and is planning to bring back Nepali nationals stranded in foreign countries due to COVID-19 through regular flights.

The COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) has recommended to the government to halt evacuation flights, and bring Nepalis through the regular flights.

“The diplomatic missions of Nepal in foreign countries have said that almost all Nepalis stranded abroad due to COVID-19 have been taken to Nepal. There are a few Nepali nationals left to be rescued, who will be brought back to Nepal through regular flights,” Mahendra Prasad Guragain, coordinator at the CCMC Secretariat, told Republica.

“As regular flights have already resumed, and the number of Nepalis to be brought back to Nepal is few, the CCMC has decided to recommend to the government to stop the evacuation flights. But this doesn’t mean the government is not planning to rescue Nepali nationals. They will be brought back through the regular flights,” he said.  

According to CCMC, at least 136,216 Nepali nationals stranded in foreign countries have already been brought back to Nepal.

Following the pandemic, the government started evacuation flights in June to bring Nepalis stranded in foreign countries back home.

 
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