Association of International NGOs in Nepal (AIN) welcomes the endorsement of National Reconstruction Authority Bill.

With the endorsement of the National Reconstruction Authority Bill, plans for recovery and reconstruction can now move ahead and donors will have confidence to provide the pledged funds.

“The INGO community welcomes the endorsement of the bill and is committed to supporting and coordinating with the National Reconstruction Authority in its reconstruction and recovery efforts and looks forward to a meaningful dialogue with the Government of Nepal for strategic collaboration,” says Rajendra Mulmi, chairperson of Association of International NGOs in Nepal (AIN). He reiterates that AIN expects all ministries to be swifter in handling the administration of INGOs.

He further adds, “As we move forward with reconstruction, the government should not let politics interfere with humanitarian needs in the days to come as hundreds of thousands of families are in need of permanent shelters with the setting of the winter season.”

According to a press release issued by AIN, the Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday endorsed the Reconstruction Authority Bill after 235 days of the devastating earthquake that struck Nepal  taking lives of  around 9,000 people and destroying properties worth billions.

AIN has been lobbying with concerned stakeholders for the past several months to urge the government to focus on post-earthquake reconstruction of the country among other priorities. The lack of a national authoritative body to disburse accumulated funds and synchronize the efforts in reconstruction resulted not only in delay in reconstruction but also raised concerns in the donor community.

INGOs were one of the firsts to respond to the emergency, and have continuously supported early recovery work on the ground, in close coordination with the District Disaster Relief Committee (DDRC). A large number of INGOs have been in Nepal years before the earthquake, and have played a crucial role in emergencies in Nepal. Most of them will continue to invest in development and humanitarian work here in the years to come.

The international non-government organisations (INGOs) were among those to quickly respond to the call of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating impact of the earthquake of 25th April. Out of 124 INGOs, who are members of the Association of International NGOs in Nepal (AIN), 87 have contributed to relief and recovery work. They have been working in the earthquake-affected districts, in coordination with the District Disaster Management Committees,  relevant ministries, and UN through the cluster and humanitarian country team mechanisms. Member INGOs have attracted over USD 200 million worth of aid to Nepal so far.