Nepal is set to receive a food assistance grant worth 9.3 million US dollars from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) for the Bhutanese refugees languishing in the refugee camps of eastern Nepal, Radio Nepal reported Monday.

A Letter of Understanding to this effect was signed by Nabin Bahadur Shrestha, acting foreign secretary of Nepal, and Erika Joergensen, who represented the WFP, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, the state-owned radio said.

The food assistance will be utilized for more than 100,000 refugees camped in the refugee camps of Jhapa district for a period of one year starting from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006.

More than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees have been languishing in seven refugee camps in eastern Nepal since they were evicted from Bhutan 15 years ago.

Source: Xinhua