Key messages
Nepal is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters and every year there are significant loss of lives and property, and livelihoods are destroyed. Therefore, continued support to vulnerable communities is needed to prepare for and reduce the impact of natural disasters in order to reinforce their resilience capacities.
More than 23 000 refugees who came from Bhutan in the 1990s are still hosted by Nepal. These refugees are not permitted to work and rely almost entirely on food assistance provided by UN Agencies.
The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid & Civil Protection department (ECHO) funds community-based disaster preparedness projects, aid to victims affected by flooding in the Mid-Western region of Nepal in August 2014 and assists refugees from Bhutan. Support is also provided to help the capital city, Kathmandu cope with the risk of a major earthquake.