New humanitarian staging area in Birgunj inaugurated with UKAID support
BIRGUNJ – The Government of Nepal, the British Embassy, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today inaugurated a new Humanitarian Staging Area (HSA) in Birgunj, Province 2, as part of the continued effort in strengthening the country’s emergency preparedness and response capacity.
Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tek Narayan Pandey, together with WFP Nepal Representative and Country Director, Robert Kasca, and special representatives from the British Embassy attended the ceremony.
“The humanitarian staging area in Birgunj, constructed to target the country's major international land transit point, will help to increase the capacity of emergency preparedness in a coordinated manner in this province and at local levels. Given its role in procuring, storing, and transporting the emergency materials coming from the land route to other disaster affected areas of the country, I am confident that it can make a significant contribution not only in Province 2 but also in other parts of the country”, Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey said.
With a storage capacity of 2,032 square metres, the facility was constructed by WFP with UKaid contributions, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Nepal Intermodal Transport Development Board. Already, there are 7 HSAs in other province, which have played an important role in the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.
WFP has been supporting the Government of Nepal since 2013 in building a national logistics network to strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacities for the country. The establishment of the HSA nationwide network follows the success of the UK-funded Kathmandu Humanitarian Staging Area at the Tribhuvan International Airport, which was completed one month before the devastating 2015 earthquake. Its activation was extremely timely and made a difference in the earthquake response. Without it, some 21 days would have been needed for the relief efforts to reach those in desperate need.
“Investing in emergency preparedness ahead of disasters is one of the most effective ways in protecting lives and assets. We are pleased to work closely with the Government to ensure that each province has the capacity to respond to disasters quickly and effectively,” said Robert Kasca, WFP Nepal Representative and Country Director.
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The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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