US announces $402 millon for strengthening democracy in Nepal

KATHMANDU: The United States has announced a grant assistance of $402 million to Nepal to strengthen its democratic institutions.

The funds to be provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will be used over the next five years to reinforce recent gains in democratic processes, improving governance, expanding proven health interventions in maternal and child health, improving literacy, increasing economic growth and addressing the challenges of food insecurity and climate change.

The assistance agreement was signed yesterday by Beth Dunford, Mission Director of USAID Nepal and Madhu K Marasini, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, according to a statement issued by the US Embassy here.

"This agreement reflects the American people's continued commitment to development priorities in Nepal... USAID, working together with the Government of Nepal, seeks to build on the efforts and successes of the past and create a Nepal where the most vulnerable are lifting themselves out of extreme poverty and contributing to stable, resilient democratic societies," Dunford said.