国内英语新闻:Chinese NGO sets up hand wash stations to help Nepalis fight COVID-19

KATHMANDU, April 5 (Xinhua) -- China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation (CFPA), a Chinese non-governmental organization (NGO), has handed over materials needed for hand wash stations to Nepal's Mithila Bihari municipality.

The materials, including buckets and sanitizer, were handed over recently to the municipality located 9 km away from the province's popular city Jankapur.

It is difficult for most patients living in southeastern region of Nepal to find a comfortable place to wash their hands when they visit public hospitals in Province 2, the most densely populated province of the Himalayan nation.

Anita Kumari Shah, deputy mayor of Mithila Bihari municipality in Dhanusha district, expressed her gratitude towards the NGO from China for setting up hand wash stations in 11 different locations of the municipality.

"At a time when the country is fighting COVID-19 crisis, it's a great help from China and the Chinese people. We have already received good feedback from the public. I hope such assistance will be continued in future as well," Shah told Xinhua.

Stating that majority of the people in the rural villages are not used to good hygiene practice, while they also lack access to sanitizers and soap, the deputy mayor believes that the hand wash stations are a good start for the community to adopt health lifestyle.

She said the stations have been set up in front of government hospitals, police stations, community centers and in major junctions of the municipality.

"We are also setting up similar hand wash stations in two other municipalities of the district, namely Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City and Nagarayan Municipality next week," said Sanjay Kumar Shah, local officer at CFPA.

According to CFPA, a washing center will be operated for at least two weeks, while it will be managed by the local community as per the need once the nationwide lockdown is over.

"Since the districts have a dominance of people with poor economic condition and illiteracy, we are hopeful that the wash stations could be helpful to prevent the virus infection in the local population," Zou Zhiqiang, country director of CFPA Nepal, told Xinhua.

Starting to work in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake, the NGO has carried out over a dozen projects in disaster relief, livelihood, food, water and sanitation, disinfection treatment and health care among others in various districts.

The Chinese organization plans to build more than 180 hand wash stations in various parts of the country including in Kathmandu valley to help fight the outbreak.

Nepal has reported nine confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, including one recovered and eight active cases.

The whole nation is under a nationwide lockdown since March 24 to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.