Aid to fire-affected Bhutanese refugees
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KATHMANDU, JAN 22 - The UNHCR on Friday said that an emergency aid has been provided to to the more than 400 Bhutanese refugees affected by the Wednesday night fire in the Beldangi I refugee camp in Jhapa in eastern Nepal.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, it along with the government, NGO partners (Caritas, Lutheran World Federation, the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia)
and WFP is providing immediate emergency assistance to the fire victims.
“As part of a coordinated government-led relief effort, UNHCR and its NGO partners will distribute plastic sheets, blankets, mosquito nets, soaps, cooking kits, as well as materials such as bamboo to help the affected families rebuild their homes,” reads the UNHCR statement. In total, an estimated USD 39,000 will be required for emergency relief and reconstruction materials.
"It is unfortunate that every year hundreds of refugees become homeless due to fire in these camps, which often happen mostly during dry season,” said Rianawati, Head of UNHCR Sub-Office in Damak.
"The quick response from the government, security forces, aid agencies and the refugee community as well as the immediate coordination mechanism put in place in responding to this incident is praiseworthy. This is a commendable example of good multi-stakeholder collaboration," added Rianawati.
The UNHCR said that it will soon relocate the affected families to vacant huts in the camp or will build new huts for them.
Meanwhile, third-country resettlement of the Bhutanese refugees is underway. So far, more than 25,600 refugees have left their camps in Nepal to begin a new life in the US and the European countries.
Posted on: 2010-01-22 04:52
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