Visiting UK Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan, who arrived in Kathmandu on a four-day visit on Monday morning, said UK government will provide a substantial amount to help reduce the risk of disasters particularly earthquakes in Nepal. "We are going to increase development aid to Nepal. And quite a lot of money will go into disaster risk reduction," Minister Duncan told Republica after his visit to earthquake prone localities in Chhetrapati area of Kathmandu in the afternoon. [break]
The UK government provided over £57 million as development assistance to Nepal in 2010/11.
Minister Duncan said he will announce the assistance amount on disaster preparedness during the launch of DFID´s operational plan on Nepal on Wednesday. "If an earthquake hits Kathmandu it would be a total disaster. Because buildings are in very bad condition to withstand the earthquake," he further said. "We need to work very hard on two things -- one to prepare for the emergency relief and two to begin to start building good buildings and stop building bad ones."
National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal (NSET-N) had organized an ´Earthquake Vulnerability Walk´ for the British minister that began from Bhugolpark in New Road. Accompanied by UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Nepal Robert Piper and NSET-N Executive Director Amod Mani Dixit, Minister Duncan enthusiastically obtained first hand information about the city´s vulnerability to an earthquake during a nearly one-and-a-half hour walk from Bhugolpark to Chhetrapati Hospital.
Besides seeing for himself the city´s condition, the minister also took stock of Nepal´s preparedness for disasters. Local community volunteers at the hospital had performed a simulation exercise on rescue efforts in the event of an earthquake.
Kathmandu Valley is regarded one of the most vulnerable cities in the world in terms of earthquake risk as large numbers of buildings in the country´s most populated city are poorly built to withstand earthquake risk. The assistance pledge of Minister Duncan comes in the wake of the World Bank preparing to hold a meeting of donor communities in Washington DC in April to garner support for gearing up earthquake risk reduction efforts in Nepal.
Upon his arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in the morning, Minister Duncan told media persons, "My first visit in May 2010 exposed me directly to Nepal´s development needs. And this time, I am here with a plan for UK development support which I will launch on Wednesday."
Later in the afternoon, Duncan flew to Nepalgunj after holding a meeting with President Dr Ram Baran Yadav. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to visit Surkhet, where he will visit schools, health posts and other projects supported by UK government. His original plan to visit Jumla was cancelled due to a strike at the airport called by people in Jumla against recent increase in airfares.
Minister Duncan is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and launch DFID´s operation plan on Nepal before wrapping up his visit Thursday.
Related story
HoR election is NC’ top priority, Deuba assures Minister Kharel
-1200x560-1779450784.webp)