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Emergency aid to refugees
KATHMANDU, JAN 22 -
More than 400 refugees from Bhutan, who became shelterless when a blaze swept through the Beldangi I refugee camp in eastern Nepal on Wednesday night, have started receiving emergency aid.
The government, UNHCR and its NGO partners—Caritas, Lutheran World Federation and the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia--and WFP are providing immediate emergency assistance, a UNHCR press release said.
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 shelters.
Around US $39,000 will be required for emergency relief and reconstruction materials, said the release
further.
The fire destroyed 28 thatched and caused damage to 13 huts, while 31 huts were demolished to stop the inferno from spreading further.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the fire started accidentally from a candle in a hut. Forty personnel from the Armed Police Force managed to control the fire within an hour with two fire engines from Itahari and Birtamod. There were no serious injuries or casualties,” said the statement. A refugee, who sustained minor injuries, has received immediate treatment.
“It is unfortunate that every year hundreds of refugees based in these camps become homeless due to fire, which often erupts during the dry season,” said Rianawati, head of the UNHCR Sub-Office in Damak.
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