Bahrain has donated hundreds of Covid-19 vaccines to a village in Nepal, in a “friendly gesture”.
The gift of 2,000 doses of AstraZeneca jabs was announced yesterday by National Security Adviser and Royal Guard Commander Major General Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa in a post on his Instagram account.
The vaccines will help about 1,000 residents of Samagaun village.
Shaikh Nasser’s announcement coincided with a 16-member Bahrain expedition team leaving for Nepal, to conquer the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest.
“Off and loaded with vaccines and heroes,” said Shaikh Nasser in the post.
“Fare well champions.”
The team is headed by Shaikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Khalifa and includes 12 Bahrainis and three British nationals who serve in the Royal Guard and the Bahrain Defence Force.
All have received their vaccinations.
Shaikh Nasser and Nepalese Ambassador Padam Sundas were present at the Isa Air Base to bid farewell to the team.
“As a friendly gesture towards the people of Samagaun in Gorkha district, the team will hand over 2,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine,” the Nepalese Embassy said in a statement yesterday.
A mountain named the “Royal Bahrain Peak” last year in honour of the Bahraini leadership is also located in Samagaun valley.
The mountain was given the royal honour following the success of Bahrain’s expedition team that scaled two peaks last year – Lobuche, which is 6,119 metres above sea level, and the eighth highest mountain in the world, Mt Manaslu (8,163m).
“The friendly relations between Nepal and Bahrain has been further strengthened through mountaineering expeditions and several other facets of tourism,” added Mr Sundas.
On Sunday, Shaikh Nasser said the team will pass through Samagaun, which is about 4,000m above sea level, as part of its 79-day mission to conquer Mt Everest.
Meanwhile, the Bahrain team landed in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, yesterday and will stay there until quarantine procedures are completed.
Assisting the team are 250 Sherpas led by Mingma Sherpa, the first Nepalese to climb 14 mountains which were more than 8,000m since 2000, including Mt Everest in 2004 (8,848.86m).
In a telephonic interview with the GDN from Kathmandu yesterday, the veteran climber said preparations were in full swing for the mission.
“We have prepared food packets consisting of coffee, snacks, chocolates and other items, while oxygen cylinders are also ready,” he said.
Mr Sherpa said weather constantly posed a challenge to climbers, but added that the team members are well trained to complete the task.
“We plan to start our journey by March 28, and have finalised all the logistics for the 79-day mission.”
Mr Sherpa is the chairman of Seven Summit Treks, a Kathmandu-based commercial adventure operator, which is managing the high-profile Bahrain expedition.
“We are all excited to have a royal family member from Bahrain for the first time as part of a mega mountaineering trip.”
Nepalese Tourism Department director Mira Acharya said more than 300 foreign climbers were likely to attempt to scale Mt Everest during the peak climbing season beginning next month; a record 381 climbers attempted the climb in the 2019 season.
Eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains including Everest are wholly or partly in Nepal, and hundreds of foreign climbers contribute millions of dollars in income annually to the cash-strapped nation.
Nepal closed its mountains in March last year to control the spread of coronavirus which has infected 274,973 people and caused more than 3,012 deaths so far.
The country began its vaccination campaign with AstraZeneca donated by India in January.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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