KATHMANDU, Jan 26: The United States announced on Thursday that it provided $160 million in assistance in 2016 to improve health, education, environment, agriculture, earthquake reconstruction and governance in Nepal. 

While approximately $133 million of these funds are managed by several US departments and agencies operating in Nepal, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the remaining 27 million of these funds were provided through the US Department of Defense to enhance Nepal's disaster response and strengthen its ability to participate in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations globally.

According to a press statement issued by the US Embassy in Kathmandu on Thursday, the US assistance in 2016 included $41 million for earthquake reconstruction. This amount is above and beyond the $130 million in immediate post-earthquake assistance pledged and provided in 2015 for relief, recovery, reconstruction and preparedness efforts. 

The US government, through the Department of Defense, provided additional $18million in 2016 to provide fixed-wing aircraft to the Nepalese Army to assist with disaster response efforts. Likewise, the U.S. Government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) provided $10 million in July of 2016 to evaluate projects for funding in the electricity transmission and road transport sectors. 

 
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