EU to provide Nepal Rs289 million in humanitarian aid

Kathmandu / Nov. 16: The European Union has provided Nepal Rs289 million in humanitarian aid for the quake-affected people.

The union approved the aid package to provide shelter, access to clean water and sanitation, and healthcare, among other services to the survivors of the recent Jajarkot earthquake, said the EU in a press release issued from Brussels.

The support package includes Rs86 million financial aid for humanitarian partners already providing assistance in affected areas. In addition, Rs28 million has been allocated to the Nepalese Red Cross Society, via the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The EU will also mobilise in-kind assistance from its European Humanitarian Response Capacity (EHRC), worth Rs173 million, which will include tents and winterisation kits that will be sent from the EU’s stockpile in Kuala Lumpur, to address the crucial shelter needs of vulnerable families whose homes were destroyed.

The latest funding comes in addition to the Rs289 million already allocated to Nepal at the beginning of this year, with the goal of responding to natural hazards and strengthening disaster preparedness.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič has stated that, like in previous disasters, the EU remains ready to help those most in need.

“This new aid package will provide shelter to people that have lost their homes and prepare them to face the upcoming winter, while helping with other pressing needs,” he said.