Bruges Council Member Pragya Timilsina Secures €20,000 Emergency Support For Nepal Disaster Victims
Pragya Timilsina, a young Nepali-origin municipal council member in Bruges, Belgium, raised the need for emergency support for people affected by the recent disaster near the Nepal-Tibet border. Her request received broad council support, with €20,000 in emergency assistance committed, and the required formal application has already been submitted.
· 2 min read
Young Nepali-origin politician Pragya Timilsina has raised the issue of the recent severe natural disaster near the Nepal-Tibet border at a meeting of the Bruges Municipal Council in Belgium, calling for emergency financial assistance for affected communities.
According to the status posted on her Facebook Page on September 1, her proposal received broad support from the council, with €20,000 (Rs. 35.2 lakh) in emergency assistance committed to the disaster-affected areas. Timilsina said the required formal application has already been submitted and expressed hope that the funds will reach those in need as quickly as possible.
Who Is Pragya Timilsina?
Timilsina is a 22-year-old young politician of Nepali roots serving as a municipal council member in Bruges. The official Bruges city website lists her as a council member, while her CD&V profile identifies her as a Biomedical Sciences student.
She entered local politics through Belgium’s CD&V party and was the youngest candidate on the party’s Bruges list during the 2024 local elections. At just 20, she ran from the 38th position and said she wanted to contribute to the wider Bruges community while also representing the interests of people with Nepali roots.
How Did She Become A Council Member?
Following Belgium’s October 2024 local elections, Timilsina joined the new Bruges Municipal Council and took her oath on December 2, 2024. Belgian public broadcaster VRT reported that she was 21 at the time, had moved from Nepal to Belgium 14 years earlier and was among 16 newcomers to the 47-member council.
She has continued to serve as a municipal councillor, with both official Bruges records and her CD&V profile listing her current mandate.
Bringing Nepal’s Disaster To Bruges
Timilsina’s appeal puts Nepal’s disaster response on the agenda of a European local government and reflects her continued connection to her Nepali roots.
Her latest initiative also builds on her earlier stated goal of acting as a bridge between the Nepali community and the wider population of Bruges, while representing all residents of the city.
Published Sep 2 in World