Nepal

Asia and Pacific

Nepal

The country hosts around 20,000 refugees, including those from Tibet, Bhutan and other states. The main arrivals of refugees took place in 1959 with an influx from Tibet, and again in 1990/1991 with an influx from Bhutan.

Latest funding update

Office contact details ↓

Nepal. Beldangi refugee settlement, Moti Maya Rai

Are you a refugee, asylum-seeker or stateless person looking for help? Visit the HELP site to find support and services from UNHCR.

Visit HELP site

Key statistics

20,433

people were displaced or stateless (or returning from forced displacement) within the country at the end of 2024

19,559

were registered refugees in the country at the end of 2024 and remained in need of international protection

$3.9 million

are needed in 2025 to ensure that operations and programmes in Nepal are sustained

Find more data here

Nepal has a longstanding tradition of providing asylum. The country hosts around 20,000 refugees, including those from Tibet, Bhutan and other states. The main arrivals of refugees took place in 1959 with an influx from Tibet, and again in 1990/1991 with an influx from Bhutan.

UNHCR supports the Government of Nepal in various programmes to protect and assist refugees in the country. This includes advocacy for legal identity documentation, livelihood programmes to achieve self-reliance, and the inclusion of refugees into policies, public services and the Government of Nepal’s Emergency, Development and SDG planning.

UNHCR works in close partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs, other key ministries, provincial and local authorities, community-based organizations, development partners, donors, the private sector, NGOs, civil societies, and most importantly, the refugees themselves.