KATHMANDU: Three organisations—the Japan Nepal Society (JNS), Tokyo; the JICA Alumni Association of Nepal (JAAN); and the Institution for Suitable Actions for Prosperity (ISAP)—have donated a total of Rs 3,547,536 to support relief and rehabilitation efforts for people affected and displaced by the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River in Rasuwa district.
The donation was made in response to the Government of Nepal’s appeal for assistance to flood victims. The amount was voluntarily collected from members of the three organisations and handed over to Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle by a delegation led by Dr Ram Chandra Bhusal, president of JAAN and team leader of the JNS-supported Agriculture Promotion Project in Nepal (APPIN). The amount will be deposited into the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Of the total contribution, JNS, Tokyo, donated Rs 2,226,560, JAAN contributed Rs 1,011,705, and ISAP provided Rs 309,271.
Earlier, Loknath Devkota of Palungtar, Gorkha, a life member of JAAN and former joint secretary of the Government of Nepal, had handed over Rs 5 million to Finance Minister Wagle to support flood victims. Dr Bhusal coordinated the collection of contributions from the three organisations.
Finance Minister Wagle expressed gratitude to the organisations, their members and well-wishers for their humanitarian support to the government during the difficult period.
In a letter to Minister Wagle, JNS President Prof. Dr Yoko Ishida expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by the floods. She said JNS and its members stood in solidarity with the Nepali people during such difficult circumstances.
Dr Bhusal said the contributions had been collected voluntarily from members of JAAN, JNS and ISAP in response to the government’s appeal and handed over to the Government of Nepal.
He also highlighted JAAN’s longstanding role in strengthening Nepal-Japan relations over the past five decades, describing the organisation as a bridge of friendship between the two countries.
JAAN has previously mobilised support for disaster victims in both countries. In March 2011, it collected donations from its members for victims of the earthquake in Japan and forwarded the funds to the Japanese government through the Japanese ambassador to Nepal.
Similarly, following the devastating earthquake in Nepal in April 2015, JAAN and JNS jointly distributed relief materials and carried out community development programmes in affected areas.
Currently, JNS is supporting the implementation of APPIN through ISAP. The project aims to promote agricultural development and improve rural livelihoods.
JNS is a social organisation comprising Japanese members committed to strengthening relations between Nepal and Japan. Through its partner organisations, JAAN and ISAP, it has supported disaster relief, community development and initiatives to increase rural incomes through agricultural production and marketing.
The three organisations also expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and property caused by the floods in the Bhotekoshi River and reaffirmed their solidarity with the affected communities.
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