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Maoist
blockade hits vulnerable rural communities
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April
2005 [ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations]
KATHMANDU,
5 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - Rights activists, international aid workers and local
NGO staff in Nepal are seriously concerned over the humanitarian consequences
of a nationwide transport strike organised by Maoist rebels to block routes
to the capital Kathmandu and other major cities.
The
strike began on 2 April and is set to last for 11 days.
"Some
three weeks ago, the UN and bilateral donors expressed their concern that
blockades restricted and stopped humanitarian and development activities.
Children are especially threatened as essential medical supplies such as
vaccines and vitamins may not reach them in time and schooling is interrupted,"
UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, Matthew Kahane, told IRIN on Tuesday.
While
there is no sign of the strike or its immediate impact in the capital,
other centres of population have been paralysed, according to human rights
workers, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.
In
Nepalgunj, a key border city about 500 km west of the capital, the streets
are totally deserted, local journalists told IRIN. Markets and shops have
been shut down. There is no sign of public transportation, taxis or private
vehicles anywhere. A handful of ambulances have been seen on the streets,
and then only when they are escorted by army jeeps. On Saturday, the first
day of the blockade, an ambulance was torched and destroyed at Satari village
in Surkhet, nearly 50 km north of Nepalgunj.
"The
Maoist blockade is already making the food situation worse as people are
unable to travel from their villages to reach market areas," explained
a rights worker in the city.
Villagers
are dependent on market places in big towns and cities for the purchase
of necessary supplies. Many have to travel for days to places like Nepalgunj,
only to find all food outlets closed due to the strike.
"I
repeat our call for free, safe and unhindered access for all groups providing
emergency, humanitarian and development assistance to people at risk, and
for aid workers to be protected," Kahane added.
Food
security is also poor in Jumla district, about 600 km northwest of Kathmandu.
The mountainous district is one of the poorest in Nepal and relies heavily
on the provision of essential food by the government and some international
donors. There are few roads in the region and private airlines that delivered
food by air stopped flights on Sunday after rebels warned them not to fly
for at least three weeks.
"The
international community is as ever concerned at the impact of the Maoist
blockade and bandh [strike]. This not only impedes development work carried
out by international partners of Nepal, but also affects most of those
who are the weakest and most vulnerable in society and risks bringing a
humanitarian crisis," Mark Mallalieu, head of the UK's Department for International
Development (DfID) office in Nepal, told IRIN.
Vulnerable
communities are also being affecting in the remote, food-deficient area
of Jajarkot, which lies 400 km northwest of the capital. Even traditional
means of transport, like mules and porters, have stopped moving there due
to fear of looting by the rebels.
In
Butwal city, nearly 300 km west of Kathmandu, the shutdown of local transport
is already affecting villagers, who say they only have a few days' supply
of food to fall back on. There are around 70 Village Development Committees
(VDCs) around Butwal where local people go to purchase essential supplies.
"The situation looks very worrisome. It's especially the people living
in hill areas who are made to suffer the worst," a local newspaper editor
in Butwal told IRIN.
The
strike is also having an impact on education, especially in rural areas.
Many school children have to walk for hours to reach their schools and
the same amount of time to return home due to the lack of transport.
Credit
and Copyright © IRIN 2005
Integrated
Regional Information Networks (IRIN), part of the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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IRIN NEPAL:
Maoist blockade hits vulnerable rural communities
(April
2005) - external link
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