Bhutanese refugees residing in different refugee camps in Eastern Nepal observed the World Refugee Day (WRD) amidst different functions organized in their respective camps, Monday.
Camp Management Committees (CMCs), Youth Friendly Centres (YFCs) and volunteers of various camp-based organizations organized joint rally in the camps while different stage programmes and youth-based competitions observed a good participation.
Monarath Pokharel, assistant program coordinator of YFC, informed BNS that a huge number of refugees and representatives of various aid-agencies took part in the rally and the formal programmes.
Similar programs were organised in Sanischare, Timai and Khudunabari refugee camps. Representatives of UNHCR, various agencies and Refugee Coordination Unit also became a part of the celebration.
Several exiled Bhutanese, who are soon leaving the camps for resettlement, said they celebrated the event as a last refugee day. However, the participation in the event was less as compared with past years, according to Deputy Camp Secretary of Beldangi camp, Yetiraj Baral.
Speaking at the function, various officials praised the refugee mass for celebrating the WRD.
Celebrated on June 20 every year, WRD celebration was initiated from 2000. It is celebrated with a view to remembering millions of refugees in the world.
According to UNHCR, 80 percent of global refugees live in developing countries.
WRD 2011 was marked with a theme, “One refugee without hope is too many.”
Reported by Tulsi Upreti from Bel-I and Hari Kumar Dahal from Bel-II for BNS.
