Canada pledges 200 more military members to Nepal earthquake relief

Children peer out of makeshift shelter in destroyed village of Paslang near the epicenter of Saturday's massive earthquake in the Gorkha District of Nepal, Tuesday, April 28, 2015. (AP / Wally Santana)

The Canadian government has pledged up to 200 more military personnel to assist with earthquake disaster relief efforts in Nepal.

Up to 200 members of the Canadian Forces have been put on standby and are waiting to be deployed to Nepal, military officials said Tuesday. The group includes security and medical personnel, engineers and support workers.

It is estimated that more than 4,400 people were killed in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Saturday.

The group will eventually be joining a smaller 40-member team of Canadian Armed Forces members, including 18 members from the Disaster Assistance Response Team. That smaller team is expected to reach Kathmandu on Wednesday .

Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Nicholson said Tuesday that Canada will also be sending six more consular resources to Kathmandu, to join the eight that have already been deployed to the Nepalese capital.

"To date, officials on the ground and in Ottawa -- assisted by the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD) Emergency Watch and Response Centre -- have been working around the clock since the earthquake hit to locate all Canadians in the region, and to ensure that these Canadians are safe and receive the appropriate assistance and care," he said in a statement.

The minister said Canada has established a consular service point at the Phora Durbar American Club in Kathmandu. Any Canadians in the country who need help leaving should head to the American Club, where officials will help them arrange a flight out of Nepal.

"Canadian officials are helping to identify commercial flights and are working on plans to evacuate Canadians to New Delhi using Department of National Defence flights," he said.

Any Canadians who can't reach the American club, or who want more information on the evacuation plans should contact the High Commission of Canada in India or the Department of Foreign Affairs' Emergency Watch and Response Centre.

Also on Tuesday, Minister of International Development Christian Paradis said the government will be working with the Red Cross to establish health care unit in Nepal that can provide urgent care for up to 200 people per day.

"Canada stands with the people in Nepal and the surrounding region affected by this catastrophic earthquake," he said in a statement. "Their needs are great and Canada is proud to support the Canadian Red Cross in sending Canadian health expertise to help ensure that life-saving medical care reaches those most in need."

On Monday, the government announced it will match dollar-for-dollar all eligible donations made by Canadians to the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund between April 25 and May 25. The money from the fund will be used to provide disaster relief through international and Canadian humanitarian organizations, Nicholson said.

The relief fund is in addition to the $5 million in aid that was committed immediately after the earthquake hit on Saturday.

The government has also sent hundreds of emergency travel documents to Nepal to assist Canadians that may need replacement documents including visitor visas, student visas and work visas. Relief supplies have also been sent to the region.

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press