International nongovernmental organisations disbursed $215 million to various projects in Nepal in the last fiscal year 2018-19. The amount was almost double of what they had spent—$110 million—in the previous fiscal year.

According to the Development Cooperation Report released by the Ministry of Finance last week, the share of foreign NGOs in total official development assistance of donors stands at 12 percent.

Of the total $1.79 billion received by Nepal in foreign assistance, $1.57 billion was contributed by bilateral and multilateral partners, including China and India, the report said.

Narayan Dhakal, undersecretary at the Finance Ministry, said more spendings by foreign NGOs in the post-earthquake reconstruction related works resulted in a massive jump in the disbursement figure.
“Another reason is that more foreign NGOs reported to the Aid Management Platform about their spending,” he added.

According to the National Reconstruction Authority, foreign NGOs have so far spent more than Rs40 billion in reconstruction projects.

Achyut Luitel, chairperson of the Association of International NGOs in Nepal, also believes that post-earthquake recovery works contributed to the rise in the disbursement figure.

“Many international NGOs are in the process of completing their engagement in reconstruction works,” Luitel told the Post.

According to the report, Save the Children disbursed $33 million in various projects in the country in the fiscal year 2018-19, making it the largest contributor. Still, the amount was lower than what the international organisation had spent in Nepal in the previous fiscal year.

Other major contributors were the German Nepalese Help Association ($19 million), World Vision International ($13 million), Good Neighbors International Nepal ($12 million) and Oxfam Great Britain ($12 million).

Spendings by foreign NGOs were largely in the education sector ($62 million) followed by the health sector ($52 million), the report shows.