Mauritius assists quake-affected in Nepal

Bidur / February 13: The Government of Mauritius and UNDP have joined efforts to realise the long-term recovery of earthquake affected communities in Nepal through the reconstruction of community infrastructures and livelihood recovery programmme (LRP).

Launching the extension of LRP programme in Nuwakot, Deputy Country Director of UNDP Sophie Kemkhadze said UNDP was prepared to support the local authorities in all ways possible to maximize local potentials for the recovery of earthquake affected communities. Mauritius has provided one million dollars to Nepal’s earthquake-affected through UNDP, said a press release issued by the UNDP Nepal Office.

The press release further said 25 vital community infrastructures would be reconstructed in Nuwakot and 15 livelihood promotion activities organised through local NGO RUDEC Nepal to restore people’s livelihood recovery in 6 VDCs.

“The earthquake has influenced UNDP’s priorities in Nepal. The importance of community infrastructures for livelihoods, especially in a country which is so much rural and dependent on agriculture is high and has multiplying efforts. UNDP is super serious that community structures are resilient to disasters and communities take ownership over maintenance for their sustainability, said Kemkhadze.

On the occasion, Chief District Officer of Nuwakot Umesh Kumar Dhakal said the severity of destruction was high in Nuwakot and urged UNDP to find additional resources to go beyond six VDCs to help reconstruct the damaged infrastructures.

Similarly, Local Development Officer, Narayan Prasad Risal said UNDP has been a long development partner of Nepal government and noted that the credit of advancing the bottom-up approach of planning goes to the UN development programme. “This prefab building is an example of how much people benefit from the reconstruction of community infrastructures that have been destroyed by the earthquake,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UNDP’s Deputy Country Director visited Khanigaon and Thansing VDCs and interacted with the beneficiaries of various programmes being implemented by UNDP.

LRP is assisting the reconstruction of 250 community infrastructures, including irrigation canals, cooperative buildings, drinking water, trails and rural roads and organizing 100 livelihood interventions for the earthquake affected communities in Sindhupalchok, Dolakha, Kavre, Nuwakot and Rasuwa. RSS