Consolidation of the only verified camp Khudunabari has kicked off from Thursday by brining 20 households in Beldangi-II and Beldangi-II Extension camps.
The Joint Verification Team (JVT) formed by Nepal and Bhutan had verified all residents of this camp in 2001. The camp was housing 12,500 individuals at that time.
According to the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Nepal, which has been shouldering the task of camp merger, the shifting would take more than a month, as it has to transfer some 7,000 persons. Around 6,000 have already been resettled to various countries from this camp.
Speaking at a farewell program held at Khudunabari camp, LWF Nepal’s Easter Region Project Director, Dhrubha Raj Pandit, mentioned three Beldangi camps would receive 677 households.
“Of this, some 300 families will be relocated in Beldangi-I camp and another 300 in Sanishare,” he said.
Representatives from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and government officials were also present in the camp to see off exiled Bhutanese of those 20 households.
Meanwhile, various agencies and camp management committee of Beldangi received the new arrivals amidst a welcome ceremony yesterday afternoon.
(Reported by Deo Kumar Tamang from Khudunabari with inputs from Moses Lagoon from Beldangi)
