MESSAGE FROM THE MISSION DIRECTOR

Namaste and greetings!

I’m delighted to bring you the April – June 2015 edition of USAID Nepal’s Quarterly Newsletter, featuring updates and stories from our end of the development world. They say a friend in need is a friend indeed. USAID’s commitment to Nepal has stood the test of time. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that have shaken Nepal since April 25, our commitment remains stronger than ever.

On June 25, as the Government of Nepal brought together all of its key development partners for an International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction, we had the opportunity to demonstrate the U.S. Government’s leadership and commitment in Nepal’s rebuilding and recovery efforts. Our pledge at the conference increases the total amount of U.S. emergency relief and early recovery assistance to $130 million, and is only the beginning of our contribution to Nepal’s earthquake recovery, which will span multiple years.

Earthquake recovery has taken center stage, as you will see from the Newsletter. USAID and our partners are on the ground, reviving livelihoods and mitigating food insecurity with cash-for-work programs, providing agricultural support, addressing trafficking concerns, and helping get children back to school.

Through our Quarterly Newsletters, as well as other communication platforms like Facebook and Twitter, we will continue to highlight and share glimpses of our work and its results. It is our hope that you will stay engaged and inspired, and will stand with Nepal as we help the country to build back better.

USAID is here for the long haul. Thank you for your support.

Best,

Dr. Beth Dunford
Mission Director, USAID/Nepal

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY’S STATEMENT: NEPAL DONOR CONFERENCE

Excerpts as read by the U.S. Ambassador to Nepal, Peter W. Bodde on June 25, 2015 at the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction. 
Read more here

NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: DISASTER RISK REDUCTION PREPARATION

On April 25, 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central Nepal. Within hours of the earthquake, a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) was deployed... 
Read more here

POST APRIL 25: SNAPSHOT OF USAID ASSISTANCE

USAID had 15 ongoing projects and additional USAID/OFDA supported emergency relief efforts that provided emergency relief to the districts most heavily affected 

Read more here

ONE DOCTOR’S STORY OF HOPE: HOW PREPAREDNESS SAVED LIVES IN NEPAL

For years, Dr. Pradeep Vaidya, Director of the Department of Information and Technology at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Nepal 
Read more here

EDUCATION CAN’T WAIT: GETTING CHILDREN BACK TO SCHOOL IN NEPAL

Anjila Maharjan, age 10 and in sixth grade, confidently climbs atop the steps and takes position. A band of young boys with traditional instruments waits. As the sun steadily climbs.. 
Read more here

CAMP HOPE: THE START OF A NEW FUTURE

The summer sun is scorching the ground beneath our feet, and it is barely past 7:30 in the morning. We move to a perch on an elevated platform, shaded by a large old tree. 
Read more here

INVESTING IN NUTRITION: TO REDUCE POVERTY

The most commonly accepted measure of extreme poverty is monetary – namely minimal daily individual consumption after adjustment for purchasing power. But we know that poverty is more complicated than that 
Read more here

BROKERING-PEACE-AND-STRENGTHENING: NEPAL’S SOCIAL FABRIC WITH GENDER EQUALITY AND INCLUSION

The losses from the April 25 earthquake and the multiple aftershocks thereafter are profound and irreparable. Yet, as Nepal.. 
Read more here

NEPAL’S WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SUCCESSES: RHINO POPULATION INCREASE AND YET ANOTHER 365 DAYS OF ZERO POACHING

Recently, Nepal announced some positive news from the recent rhino.. 
Read more here

TOWARDS HEALTHIER MOTHERS AND NEWBORNS:TEACHING THE LATEST NEWBORN CARE TECHNIQUES IN NEPAL

Health care in Nepal has made huge gains in the past two decades, particularly among mothers and children. 
Read more here