KATHMANDU, July 7: The Qatar Red Crescent and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nepal today signed an agreement to rehabilitate and rebuild community infrastructure and facilities in Gorkha.
The Community Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Projectaims at enhancing the access of approximately 10,000 earthquake-affected people to improved community infrastructure and services. The total budget of the project is NRs 36.8 million (US$ 335,330), out of which Qatar Red Crescent will contribute NRs 16.5 million (US $150,000), UNDP NRs. 3.3 million (US $30,000) and the Gorkha Municipality and communities NRs. 17 million (US $155,370).
School building reconstructed with community investment
The agreement was signed by Rashid Saad Almohanadi, Director General of Relief and International Development at Qatar Red Crescent, and Renaud Meyer, UNDP Country Director in Nepal at the UN House in the presence of Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Nepal H.E. Yusuf bin Mohamed Al-Hail. Upon signing the agreement, Almohanadi said, “We are pleased to be part of this six-month collaborative project with UNDP and Gorkha Municipality and look forward to help earthquake affected communities to improve their health and disaster resilience.”
The project includes construction of two irrigation schemes, a drinking water system, a school building, a health post and over 200 toilets and putting in place a hospital waste management system. The project is complementary to the planned interventions of the local government and coordinated by the concerned ward chairs of the Gorkhamunicipality.
“UNDP is pleased to sign this agreement with the Qatar Red Crescent. We want to see this as the beginning of a new partnership to mobilize the generosity of Qatar in helping Nepal build resilient communities and achieve progress on its broader development objectives.” said UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer. “We hope we can reach other needy communities in the future with similar interventions.”
“We would like to thank Qatar Red Crescent and UNDP for their support to the community infrastructure projects, which will be implemented with full participation, leadership and ownership of local communities. The Gorkha municipality and the local people are contributingalmost half of the total budget,” Rajan Raj Panta, Mayor, Gorkha Municipality.
