The United States and Japan have provided a fund of over 2 million US dollars to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Nepal, state-run Radio Nepal reported Wednesday.

The radio quoted a press statement issued by the UNHCR in Nepal as saying that it has received 1.7 million dollars and 1 million dollars from the US and Japan respectively to meet its annual budget.

"This contribution will be focused towards the implementation of the Bhutanese refugee program and towards the protection of and assistance to other persons of concern for the year 2005," the press statement said.

Some 105,000 Bhutanese refugees have been sheltering in seven camps in eastern Nepal since the early 1990's, awaiting a permanent solution to their plight.

Source: Xinhua