Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has completed a multi-sector development project in Gorkha Bazaar, Nepal, under an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Gorkha Municipality for the benefit of 32,636 people.
The purpose of the project is to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and support livelihoods and food security by enhancing productive WASH infrastructure, QRCS has said in a statement.
With an overall budget of around $374,000, the project is co-funded by QRCS ($150,000), Gorkha Municipality ($176,862) and UNDP ($47,505).
The project involved building a health centre to provide basic healthcare for 1,200 people, two water purification and distribution plants for the benefit of 400 families, a basic education school, two irrigation canals and a waste removal unit for Gorkha’s central hospital.
"As a significant contribution to one of the country’s most underserved areas, the new facilities would help improve the living standards of the population in many ways," the statement noted.
From a sustainable perspective, the local community and councils were engaged in the implementation process.
Then, the project was handed over to Gorkha Municipality under the supervision of UNDP.
The inauguration and handover ceremony was attended by Yousuf bin Mohamed al-Hail, Qatar's ambassador to Nepal; Rajan Raj Panta, mayor of Gorkha Municipality; Chandrakala Paudel, undersecretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Co-operatives and Poverty Alleviation; Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, resident representative of UNDP in Nepal, government and local officials; community leaders and the public.
Al-Hail said he was happy to open the project, meet the beneficiaries and feel their joy.
He emphasised Qatar’s commitment to supporting Nepal in the light of the strong bilateral government and popular relations.
“The Nepalese community in Qatar is highly welcomed,” he added.
The mayor of Gorkha thanked al-Hail, QRCS and UNDP, promising to do whatever is necessary to run the project well and enable everyone to benefit from it.
“We are fully responsible for ensuring more effective operation and maintenance,” said Panta.
Paudel appreciated Qatar's development operations in Nepal.
She thanked the three partners for this achievement in a district located in one of the most vulnerable areas, hoping they would keep working together against poverty.
Medagangoda-Labe called for co-operation with QRCS in Phase 2 of UNDP’s Community Infrastructure and Livelihood Recovery Programme.
QRCS commenced its work in Nepal in 2013, with multiple WASH projects.
In 2015, a representation office was established to respond to an earthquake.
Its scope of work expanded to include livelihood, food security, healthcare, shelter and emergency relief.
So far, these operations have benefited around 1.7mn people at a total value of over $2.9mn, the statement adds.
