SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has reached out to nearly 100 Singaporeans and permanent residents in Nepal and Tibet to check on their safety and well-being following the devastating floods of Aug 26, said Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Thursday (Sep 10).MFA is also providing consular assistance to the families of nine Singaporeans who are still missing, said Dr Balakrishnan in a written parliamentary reply.Dr Balakrishnan was responding to questions from Member of Parliament Fadli Fawzi (WP-Aljunied GRC) on the number of Singaporeans who had sought and received assistance from MFA in relation to the flash floods in Nepal and Tibet.Mr Fadli had also asked whether MFA has assessed the need to increase Singapore's network of consular missions overseas to enhance its ability to respond and assist Singaporeans when disasters hit.
In his response, Dr Balakrishnan noted that Singapore currently has a diplomatic footprint of more than 50 overseas missions, supported by a network of non-resident ambassadors and honorary consuls-general.Non-resident ambassadors have the full authority of a diplomatic mission and are meant to extend Singapore's representation overseas in countries where it does not have a resident mission.Meanwhile, honorary consuls-general are foreign nationals appointed by the Singapore government to represent the country's interests abroad and render consular assistance to overseas Singaporeans. "When a crisis occurs in places where we do not have diplomatic representation, MFA works with foreign governments and other partners to provide consular assistance to Singaporeans in need," said Dr Balakrishnan.Singapore may also deploy crisis response teams - as it did in the case of the Nepal and Tibet floods - for major incidents, he added."MFA regularly reviews our diplomatic footprint to balance the need for broader coverage against our resource constraints as a small country."He noted that Singapore opened an embassy in Mexico City earlier this year, with upcoming embassies in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, as well as consulates in Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia.The deadly flooding on Aug 26, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, led to a tsunami-like surge of water, mud and debris which began on the China-Nepal border.The disaster has killed more than 1,410 people and left 5,651 missing.
