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Nepal: senior UN development official pledges support ahead of post-quake reconstruction conference

UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Director Haoliang Xu (second left) at the laying of the foundation stone of a ginger processing community facility centre in Thulosirubari Village, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal.
UNDP Nepal
UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Director Haoliang Xu (second left) at the laying of the foundation stone of a ginger processing community facility centre in Thulosirubari Village, Sindhupalchowk, Nepal.

Nepal: senior UN development official pledges support ahead of post-quake reconstruction conference

Two months after a massive earthquake and several powerful aftershocks ravaged Nepal, the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Haoliang Xu, arrived in Kathmandu for a visit will include participation in an International Donors’ Conference aimed at bolstering the country’s post-disaster reconstruction efforts.

Deliberations for the 25 June conference entitled Toward a Resilient Nepal, will be informed by a post-disaster needs assessment that was conducted by the Nepalese Government with support from UNDP and other development partners.

“The challenge of rebuilding the areas affected by earthquakes is enormous, and UNDP will continue to provide the government of Nepal with assistance in establishing the implementation arrangements and financial systems necessary to build a resilient Nepal,” Mr. Xu said after his arrival in the Nepalese’s capital yesterday.

UNDP is assisting the Government of Nepal to respond to and recover from the earthquakes that devastated the country in April and May. As part of a four-day visit, Mr. Xu will also travel into the hard-hit Sindhupalchowk district to see the destruction first hand.

Speaking with local officials, community members and humanitarian actors, the Director will discuss UNDP’s work and reaffirm the agency’s commitment to long-term recovery assistance – with a special focus on protecting the poorest and most vulnerable people.

With a comprehensive programme spanning three years, UNDP will focus on three main areas of work: revitalizing livelihoods and economic recovery of communities; restoring local governance systems and public service delivery; and helping to build a disaster-resilient Nepal under the leadership of the Government.