Japan to provide Rs 10.4 billion to Nepal

Kathmandu / Feb 2: The Government of Japan has stated that the Cold Chain Equipment Assistance Program required to manage COVID-19 vaccines in Nepal has been completed.

The Japanese Embassy in Nepal also stated that it has decided to provide additional Rs 10.4 billion to Nepal for social and economic development. “It has been decided to provide about Rs 10.4 billion to the Government of Nepal for economic recovery, economic growth and social entrepreneurship,” said Japanese Ambassador to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka.

The Japanese embassy in Nepal and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in a joint statement issued on Monday, said that their contribution to the management of the cold chain was helpful in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, the necessary equipment has been provided in a phased manner from January 31, 2020 to January 31, 2022.

Under its grant, Japan has provided high-quality facilities such as 9 walk-in-coolers, 38 solar-driven vaccine refrigerators, 1,109 long-range vaccine carriers and 53 cold boxes to ensure an effective COVID-19 vaccination rollout in Nepal.

“The provided walk-in-coolers are transportable and can be installed relatively quickly and inexpensively, the solar-driven refrigerators help tackle storage issues faced by regions with unstable electricity, and the carriers and boxes enable vaccine distribution to communities unreachable by a vehicle,” added Ambassador Kikuta. “I hope this grant can expedite the process in reaching every person waiting for the vaccine, and I sincerely hope the people of Nepal will regain normal, safe days, overcoming the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible.”