Kathmandu, January 8

The Ministry of Home Affairs today decided to distribute relief materials worth Rs 22.2 million to victims of cold wave in 22 districts of the Tarai region.

The MoHA took the decision as per the direction of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, according to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Over two dozen people have died due to cold in several Tarai districts over the past few days.

“As directed by the prime minister, we have decided to distribute relief materials to victims of the cold wave,” said Secretary at MoHA Mohan Krishna Sapkota. He added that relief distribution would start from today. He also said materials such as blankets, firewood and warm clothes worth Rs one million would be distributed in each of the Tarai districts.

The ministry has also decided to immediately send blankets stocked in government stores to Tarai districts affected by cold.

The MoHA said it had also directed the concerned agencies to distribute relief materials on the recommendation of district disaster management committees in those districts. The relief amount will be allocated from the Central Disaster Management Fund, according to the ministry.

Likewise, the ministry has also directed that warm clothes be distributed from its humanitarian help desk and also to distribute warm clothes kept in stores of the Armed Police Force.

Similarly, the home ministry has directed the concerned agencies to make shelters in schools and public buildings to keep children and elderly people warm.