KATHMANDU, July 29 (NNN-NEPALNEWS) – Over 15,000 people, including 8,004 foreigners, have left Nepal by air, since Nepal enforced a nationwide lock-down on Mar 24, Nepal’s Department of Immigration said.
Although scheduled international flights have remained suspended since Mar 22, the Nepali government allowed chartered flights for humanitarian purpose and for the delivery of medical equipment.
Nepal’s cabinet, on July 20, decided to end the nearly four-month long lock-down and allow resumption of domestic and international flights, starting from Aug 17.
According to the immigration department’s website, as many as 15,688, including 8,004 foreigners left Nepal on chartered flights, arranged by various foreign countries.
“Most of the Nepalis who departed Nepal are Nepali students studying abroad, who had come to Nepal before the lock-down, relatives of Nepalis who are living abroad and some Nepali migrant workers,” Ram Chandra Tiwari, information officer at the immigration department said.
According to the department, among the foreigners who departed Nepal during the lock-down, U.S. citizens topped the chart. As many as 1,214 U.S. citizens left Nepal during the period, followed by British nationals with 897. A few hundred foreigners are still staying in Nepal, he added.
Meanwhile, as many as 27,654 Nepalis returned home from abroad during the period, according to the department.– NNN-NEPALNEWS
