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Bhutan News Service

Bhutan News Service

BASA donates AU$ 1925 for QLD victims

Posted: 19 Feb 2011 05:40 AM PST

The Bhutanese Community in South Australia (BASA), the newest community to resettle in Australia, contributed AU$ 1925 to flood victims of Queensland. 

According to community worker Sushil Niraula, who coordinated the donation drive, the money has been sent to the government thrust for flood victims through Bendigo Bank on Friday. He said, "I donated myself and carried out the drive because flood swept away everything that people have." 

In a statement issued by the BASA said, "We the members of Bhutanese Community in South Australia are deeply moved by the tragedy that has been brought about by the flood and cyclone in your beautiful state of Queensland.” 

It also said the community was immensely saddened by lose of human life and properties caused by the disaster. 

"We have been observing your able and wise leadership in this most telling hour of tragedy. With your time tasted stewardship, the people of Queensland will confidently march on the path of rebuilding and recovery," it added. 

BNS talked to some of the top contributors on what moved them most for the generosity. 

Beni Maya Rai commented that her livelihood is being supported by Australians. She said, “It is more than being generous to support them with whatever amount we have saved at this time of urgent need. We owe them." 

For RK Ghaley, 65, everyone needs support during emergencies caused by natural disaster. He said, “This is humanitarian support. I wish to support anyone, anywhere, even in Bhutan, when one is in need." 

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Jenesa Gazmere expressed, "So much of properties these people owned were washed by the flood. Seeing their pathetic condition, I internally felt  need to help them."

Resettlement resumes after ‘brief pause’; IOM schedules four flights today

Posted: 19 Feb 2011 01:19 AM PST

In a surprising tone, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) scheduled four flights to the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA), Kathamndu from Bhadrapur, Saturday, unlike what the US Embassy in Kathmandu reported about “temporary hold” yesterday.

According to reports, IOM made urgent calls to all returnees on Friday evening to get ready for Saturday morning and accordingly they were flown to TIA.

“Refugees of the first two flights have reached the here,” a resettling refugee from the IOM transit camp in Kathmandu told Bhutan News Service. “According to them, other two flights have been scheduled for this afternoon.”

Meanwhile, it is learnt that even refugees at the IOM transit at Bansbari of Kathmandu were informed of their probable return to camps yesterday.

“I cried so much when we were told that we’ll be taken back to camps,” a mother of two children told BNS.

According to this lady, she was brought to Kathmandu only nine months after she completed her orientation class. “Today, again we were informed that our flight schedule to America remains intact.”

Our camp correspondents reported that most of the cyber cafes remained occupied until late evening yesterday. There were huge crowds in cyber cafes and telephone booths Saturday morning.

“I thought that I would remain forever in the camp. I also saw several people crying over the shocking news in cyber cafes this morning,” Radhikar Sharma of Beldangi-II told BNS.

Citing “revision in the screening procedures”, the US Government on Friday instructed the IOM to cancel scheduled flights to Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, BNS was unable to reach for official comment from the Embassy or UN officials regarding the resumption of the process as today happened to be Saturday.

आइओएमद्वारा उड़ान रद्दः पुनर्वाशप्रकृयामा पुनरावलोकन गर्ने अमेरिकाको भनाइ

Posted: 18 Feb 2011 06:20 PM PST

शुक्रबार बिहान एकाएक पुनर्वाशयात्राको लागि हुने काठमाडौं उड़ान रद्द गरी आइओएमले दमक कार्यालयबाटै केही दर्जन शरणार्थीलाई शिविर फिर्ता गरेपछि पुनर्वाशका लागि प्रतीक्षारत रहेका शरणार्थीहरूमा खिन्नता छायो । तर नेपालस्थित अमेरिकी राजदूतावासले विश्वव्यापी रूपमा अमेरिका भित्र्याइने शरणार्थीहरूको छानबिन विधिमा पुनर्विचार गर्नलाई अमेरिकी सरकारले समय लिएको भन्दै यो स्थगन भूटानीका निम्तिमात्र नभएको जनाएको छ ।

''अमेरिका प्रवेश गर्नचाहने संसारभरिका शरणार्थीका लागि यो अस्थायी रोक (केही दिनका लागि स्थगित भएको) हो ।'' दूतावासको यो सन्देश सार्वजनिक भएपछि भने वातावरण केही शान्त बनेको छ । यद्धपि भूटानी शरणार्थीहरू पूर्ण आश्वस्त भने छैनन् ।

''छानबिनमा पुनर्मूल्याङ्कन गर्नुपर्ने भएकोले अमेरिकी सरकारले संसारभरि धेरै मान्छेलाई पुनर्वाश प्रकृयामा सामेल हुन केही दिनलाई रोकेको छ '', काठमाडौंस्थि अमेरिकी दूतावासबाट जारी सन्देशमा भनिएको छ । यो स्थगन प्रकृयामा कुनै समस्या अथवा त्रुटी भेटेर भएको नभई सामान्य समयतालिकाअनुसार भएकोले यस स्थगनलाई चाँड़ै खोलिने पनि दूतावासले बताएको   छ ।

अमेरिकी सरकारको नीति तथा योजना जेसुकै भएपनि भूटानी शरणार्थीलाई भने यस्तो अपर्झट खुल्दुलीपूर्ण निर्णयले मर्का परेको गुनासो झापाका शिविरहरूबाट सुन्न थालिएको छ । पुनर्वाशमा अमेरिका जान शुक्रबार बिहान आइओएमको गाड़ी चढ़ेर हिँड़ेका शरणार्थीलाई दमकबाट कुनै ठोस कारण र सूचनाबिना शिविरतिर फर्काइनुले शिविरहरूमा अन्योल छाएको पनि बताइन्छ । ''मान्छे निस्किएपछि शिविरका छाप्राहरू तत्काल लडाइने हुँदा सशस्त्र नेपाल प्रहरीको गश्तीमा फिर्ता ल्याइएका ती शरणार्थीहरू छिमेकी र आफन्तका छाप्रामा अलपत्र छन् । उनीहरूका छाप्राहरू आज बिहनमात्र उनीहरू निस्किएपछि भत्काइएको थियो । कुनै जानकारी-सूचनाबिना यस्तो काम भएपछि पुनर्वाश प्रकृया यतिमै सकिएछ वा रोकिएछ भन्ने आशंकाले शरणार्थीहरू बिलखबन्द परेका छन् '', आफ्नो परिचय खुलाउन नचाहने बेल्डाँगी २ का एक शरणार्थीले भने ।

शिविर फर्काइएकाहरूलाई राशन र अन्य राहत सामग्रीहरू तत्काल वितरण गरिने यूएनएचसीआरका अधिकारीहरूले जनाएका छन् ।