Visiting UK Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan, who unveiled a new development plan for Nepal on Wednesday, said the UK will make available a total of 331 million pound over the next four years. [break]
“In some parts of the world we are cutting back what we have been doing. But I have the pleasure of announcing today that our commitment to Nepal will increase substantially over the next four years,” he said.
Speaking at a press conference organized after unveiling the development plan of DFID on Nepal, Minister Duncan said UK´s support to Nepal will be 107 million pound by the fourth year -- an increase of more than 90 percent on UK´s funding this year.
Minister Duncan announced that the development aid will focus on four areas -- inclusive wealth creation, which includes skill oriented trainings and helping people´s livelihood, governance and security, achieving millennium development goals and climate change and disaster risk reduction programs. The programs, according to Minister Duncan, will help reduce climate vulnerability of three million poor people, lifting 570,000 people out of poverty through forestry programs alone and helping some 110,000 more people benefit from safe latrines.
The UK government through DFID will support Nepal on promoting forestry and developing micro-hydro projects and controlling floods and landslide.
Addressing the press conference, Minister Duncan said the decision to double the development assistance was made as Nepal is one of the 15 poorest countries in the world and is striving to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). “This is very ambitious program. It illustrates United Kingdom´s deep commitment to Nepal,” he said.
The UK government will increase the number of DFID staff in Nepal and work closely with the government, local development partners and civil society to maximize value of its commitment, Duncan said while unveiling new development plan for Nepal.
Minister Duncan made special mention of the need to work toward reducing the risk of possible earthquake in Kathmandu.
He said he will attend a big conference that is taking place in Washington DC in April. The conference to be attended by various donor countries and agencies will design best possible emergency response to reduce the risk of earthquake in Nepal.
Earlier in the day, Minister Duncan held separate meeting with Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala. He is also scheduled to hold meeting with Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday before wrapping up his four-day visit to Nepal.
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