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The government has urged the bodies concerned to carry out works for the prevention of possible disease outbreak, malnutrition and psycho-social problems following the earthquake and for their proper management.

Ministry spokesman Dr Prakash Budhathoki said the Ministry has urged all the concerned agencies for the same.

He said the Ministry has today mobilized a three-member team from the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division to the earthquake-hit areas for assessing in coordination with the provinces the likelihood of disease outbreak. 

The Ministry stated that the people injured due to the earthquake and its aftershocks are being provided medical treatment at the health post and hospitals at the respective local level wards or at the provincial hospital in the district.

Among those injured persons referred for treatment, 19 are receiving treatment at the Provincial Hospital Surkhet, 46 at the Bheri Hospital Nepalgunj, eight at the TU Teaching Hospital Kathmandu and one at the National Trauma Centre.

North Korea has decided to shut down its embassy in Kathmandu in the wake of heightened geopolitical tensions, realignment of its priorities and a crunch of resources.

North Korean Ambassador to Nepal Jo Yong Man has informed Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal about his government’s decision to close the embassy. After the establishment of diplomatic relations on 15 May 1974, North Korea opened its residential embassy in Kathmandu but Nepal did not reciprocate. Before establishing formal diplomatic ties, the two countries had signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement in 1970. 

Rupak Sapkota, Prime Minister’s Foreign Policy Advisor, confirmed that the North Korean ambassador has informed Dahal about the decision. On Monday, the diplomat held a farewell meeting with PM Dahal. The embassy has started its exit process after informing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to Sapkota, PM Dahal expressed sadness over the decision and expressed hope that North Korea will reopen its embassy in Nepal soon. According to sources, geopolitical factors and economic recession have caused North Korea to decrease the numbers of embassies abroad.

Before 2019, North Korea had been operating its businesses, including some restaurants in Kathmandu, to generate income for the operation of embassies. The country started shutting down its businesses in Nepal after the UN imposed economic sanctions against it in 2018. 

Last week, the North Korean Foreign Ministry informed Nepal that it was closing down several embassies. “We are carrying out operations to withdraw and establish diplomatic missions in accordance with a changing global environment and national foreign policy,” a North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, adding that while some embassies would close, others would open. The changes are “part of the regular affairs to promote national interest through external relations,” the spokesperson added.

The Karnali Province government has handed over Rs 24.5 million to the earthquake survivors of Jajarkot, Rukum Paschim and Salyan districts.

A total of 16 local levels from these districts were provided monetary support.

Bheri and Nalgadh Municipalities and Barekot Rural Municipality of Jajarkot were provided Rs 2.5 million each, while Kushe Rural Municipality Rs 2 million, Chhedgad Municipality and Junichande Rural Municipality Rs 1 million each.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Krishna Bahadur GC, shared this information. He added that Shivalaya Rural Municipality was provided half million rupees.

Similarly, in Rukum Paschim district, Athbiskot and Sanibheri Municipalities got Rs 2.5 million each, while Chaurajahari and Triveni Rural Municipality got Rs 2 million each. Musikot Municipality got Rs 1 million and Banphikot Rural Municipality received half million rupees.

Darma Rural Municipality of Salyan was provided Rs 1.5 million and Bagchaur and Bangad Kupinde Municipality each got half million rupees.

Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim suffered worst in the November 3 earthquake.

As part of the commemorating 20 years of successful implementation of the High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal, through grant assistance of Government of India, the Embassy of India formally handed over the Mangaladevi Birthing (Maternity) Center at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu to the hospital representatives.

Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Anita Devi, and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava jointly handed over the center to the hospital representatives amidst a function.

Political representatives, officials of Nepal Government, social workers and local community leaders were also present at the event. 

Furthermore, agreements for 3 more HICDP projects being undertaken in Nepal under Indian grant assistance at total estimated cost of Rs 130 million in the Baitadi and Mustang districts were also signed on the occasion, reads a statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital is one of the most prestigious medical institutions in Nepal.

Mangaladevi Birthing Center at TUTH has been built with Government of India’s financial assistance of Rs 44.04 million as an HICDP under Nepal-India Development Cooperation framework.

In addition, 2 sets of 40 KVA Diesel Generators, 5 Buses and 2 Ambulances have been provided to different departments, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, for this hospital in which 1 Ambulance is fully equipped with Advanced Life Support.

TUTH representatives informed that this birthing center is being managed by nurses and could function as the model birthing center for implementation in other regions across Nepal, which could result in reduced maternal mortality rates, according to the statement.

HICDPs, earlier known as Small Development Projects, were launched on  November 7, 2003 through bilateral agreement between Government of Nepal and Government of India regarding India’s Grant Assistance for Implementation of Small Development Projects through Nepali entities working at local level.

 There projects are an innovative and important segment of the Development Partnership with Nepal and are being implemented in the priority sectors of the Government of Nepal for creating infrastructure to enhance the quality of life at the grassroots level for the people of Nepal.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Srivastava highlighted that this journey of implementation of HICDP projects over the past 20 years has been very successful.

He expressed satisfaction that since 2003, nearly 550 projects have been taken up under this framework in various sectors including Education, Health, Road & Bridges, River Training, Drinking Water, Electrification, Irrigation, Culture, Social Welfare etc, which have impacted people’s lives directly.

Of these, 480 projects have been completed and remaining are ongoing.

This success translates into over 27 projects every year or simply more than 1 new project being implemented every fortnight in Nepal under Nepal-India Development Cooperation over the last 20 years.

The Ambassador thanked the Government of Nepal for its support in this regard, and committed to further enhance and strengthen the implementation of HICDPs in future, the statement further reads.

These HICDPs have been diverse in sector and geographical spread. It covers all the provinces of Nepal. 84 Projects have been undertaken in Koshi Province, 81 projects in Madhesh Province, 105 projects have been undertaken in Bagmati Province, 61 Projects in Gandaki Province, 60 projects have been undertaken in Lumbini Province, 14 in Karnali Province and 41 in Sudurpaschim Province. These are apart from 107 projects that spread in more than one province.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mahat thanked India for its continuous support in the creation of development infrastructure in Nepal.

He highlighted that HICDP projects are the cornerstone of the development partnership between India and Nepal.

He assured that Government of Nepal’s full support in implementation of such projects which impact the livelihood of common Nepali people.

Similarly, Minister Anita Devi highlighted that the key aspects of such projects is their quick gestation period and role that they play in economic development at the local level. She thanked the Government of India for its support. She highlighted that HICDPs, despite being small in size, create a big impact in lives of the common Nepali people and therefore have been appropriately described as Highly Impactful in bringing changes in community.

Further, Government of India has also been gifting ambulances and school buses every year to various institutions working in the health and education sectors in Nepal on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day of India.

So far, 974 ambulances and 234 school buses have been gifted to beneficiaries in different parts of Nepal which translate into one ambulance being gifted every week and 1 school bus every month. These services are placed to be part of the first line of treatment and contribute significantly to the health care and education sector. This initiative is connecting with grass-root people even in the remotest parts of Nepal.