IRC provides emergency aid to fire victims at refugee camp in Nepal
IRCprovides emergency aid to fire victims at refugee camp in Nepal
6 March 2008
published by www.reliefweb.int
Nepal — The International Rescue Committee joined with other aid andgovernment agencies to provide emergency aid to some 7,000 Bhutanese refugeeswho were left without homes, clothing and food after an accidental fire roaredthrough their camp in eastern Nepal on March 1.
The camp is one of seven that have been housing some 107,000 Bhutaneserefugees for the past 17 years. The refugees are Bhutanese of Nepalese originwho were expelled from Bhutan after the government stripped them of citizenshipdue to their ancestry.
Over 1,500 of 1,700 refugee homes were destroyed along with a school forrefugees, according to the UN.
So far, the IRC has distributed hygiene kits, sanitary pads, men’s pants andT-shirts and women’s clothing in the area where the fire took place, said RomanBhattrai, the IRC logistics officer in Nepal.
The IRC plans to continue relief efforts after assessing the need.
