KATHMANDU: Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a non-governmental humanitarian organisation, on Wednesday announced the official closure of its operations in Nepal from August, 2009.

NRC was operating in Nepal with the motto of awaking Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) to ensure their rights through a progamme which provided counseling and information along with legal and material assistance (ICLA).

NRC programmes covered 17 districts through six offices functioning at Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Biratnagar, Rukum, Surkhet and Lahan.

According to Philippe Clerc, director of NRC for Nepal, NRC decided to pull back from Nepal with the hope that the government of Nepal would take up the responsibilities of upholding the rights of the IDPs and also NRC's priorities were shifted to development progammes as funding for humanitarian operations was declining.

Till the closure of ICLA programme, it reached 6291 clients benefiting 22, 444 beneficiaries. NRC also assisted IDP families with material assistance such as reconstruction of shelters and distribution of non food relief items to 6135 beneficiaries including 150 families of Koshi victims.