UN calls for $104 million aid to Nepal

The United Nations has appealed to the international community to provide an assistance of over $104 million aid for humanitarian development activities in Nepal.

A statement issued by UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the UN’s Common Appeal for Transition Support (CATS) for 2008 contains 61 projects that would address urgent needs in food and nutrition, protection, health and disaster preparedness. It will also allow aid workers to assist internally displaced populations, refugees and children affected by armed conflict.

OCHA said the assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and children affected by armed conflict would also be a focus of aid activities this year, with nearly $29 million, intended for these groups.

“Even though the conflict officially ended in November 2006 when the Government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist) signed a comprehensive peace agreement, bombings, killings, abductions, demands for ransom and other forms of threats aimed at political opponents and civilian populations continue to hinder the ability of the state to deliver basic services in the country,” OCHA release stated.

The CATS is an action plan developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in Nepal with the participation of relief partners on the ground. nepalnews.com mk Jan 12 08