Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 26 April 2015: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, on behalf of the Commission, expresses her sincere condolences to the government and people of Nepal and India for the over 2,500 lives lost during the strong earthquake experienced on Saturday 25 April 2015.

The Chairperson wishes the wounded victims a speedy recovery and hopes that the death toll can be contained. She calls on the international community to continue to work together to assist the country and affected families on their road to recovery and reconstruction.

Natural disasters may be hard to prevent, but the Chairperson has expressed the hope that early warning systems can be more effectively applied to prepare for, and mitigate the degree of loss experienced during such disasters.

Jacob Enoh Eben
Spokesperson of the Chairperson