Washington: US Congresswoman Grace Meng led a moment of silence in the House of Representatives on Wednesday for the victims of the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet, saying nearly 1,000 people had died and more than 4,000 remained missing.
Meng, a Democrat who represents a congressional district in Queens, New York, also expressed solidarity with Asian-American communities affected by the catastrophe.
“The scale of destruction is heartbreaking,” Meng said in remarks entered in the Congressional Record.
“This horrific tragedy has taken the lives of nearly 1,000 people, destroyed homes and livelihoods, and left families grieving the loss of their loved ones,” she said.
The congressional tribute came as search-and-rescue operations continued across the Himalayan region. Meng said an estimated 90 Americans were among those reported missing.
“As search and rescue operations continue across the region, we pray for safe recovery of the more than 4,000 people still missing in the wake of this disaster, including an estimated 90 Americans,” she said.
The tragedy has also deeply affected Nepalese, Tibetan and other Asian communities living across the United States, particularly in New York, which is home to a large and diverse Asian-American population.
“We are committed to supporting our Asian-American communities across the United States, and especially those who live in my district in Queens, New York, as we navigate this profound tragedy,” Meng said.
“We stand with all those affected, both at home and abroad,” she added.
Meng then asked her colleagues in the House to observe silence for those killed in the disaster.
“Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in a moment of silence to remember the victims,” she said.
The intervention placed the Nepal-Tibet disaster formally on the record in Washington as concern grew over the scale of the human toll and the number of foreign nationals caught in the catastrophe.
Meng represents New York’s 6th Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens. Her district is home to substantial Asian-American and immigrant communities, including people with family and cultural connections across South and East Asia.
(IANS)
