Reuters AlertNet Lite - NEPAL: Medicine and food shortages in Terai

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NEPAL: Medicine and food shortages in Terai

01 Feb 2007 14:39:39 GMT
Source: IRIN

KATHMANDU, 1 February (IRIN) - There is a shortage of food and medical supplies in southern Nepal due to the violence and curfews that have crippled the Terai region, aid workers say.

"There is a serious problem going on and if the situation continues in this way, a major crisis will occur soon," said Kul Chandra Dahal, a local aid worker from the National NGO Federation in Biratnagar. He said aid agencies were already unable to work in villages where humanitarian assistance is needed most.

For the past 17 days, demonstrations by the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) have turned violent in clashes with police. Eight people have died, according to Amnesty International (AI), an international human rights watchdog. It said most of the victims were believed to have been shot by police. However, the police have not confirmed this.

The forum wants better rights and representation in government for its ethnic Madhesi community, which it says has been neglected.

Some aid workers told IRIN on Thursday that the failure of talks between the government and Madhesi leaders to stop the protests had limited access to medical services. The 12-hour curfews from 9 a.m. imposed by the government on key towns and cities in the region have continued for the fifth day.

Aid workers warned that clinics and hospitals could soon run short of blood supplies, oxygen cylinders and medicine.

"There is already a shortage of medicines and a lack of effective emergency provision [by the government], and the situation is becoming quite worrisome," said Kamal Prasad Koirala, an officer from the Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), in Biratnagar. It is the largest city in the southeast of Nepal, about 600km from the capital.

The curfew is preventing medical staff from getting to work and personnel carrying medical supplies are coming under attack from the demonstrators.

The Nepal Red Cross has been providing ambulances and medical aid to the injured demonstrators and sick people needing emergency medical treatment.

It also organises blood donation camps, a main source of blood supplies, but the violence has prevented it from collecting donations. "Security for the medical and humanitarian workers is really fragile and we don't know how long this situation will continue," Koirala said.

"We will think of alternatives for responding to any emergencies for medical supplies if the situation goes out of control," Arjun Bahadur Singh, spokesperson for Ministry of Health (MOH), told IRIN. He acknowledged that the curfews had created problems for people accessing health services.

Food and grain in particular, in several southeastern towns, including Biratnagar, Birganj, Lahan and Rautahat, are running low as there is no transport, due to ongoing strikes by Madhesi truck drivers.

"It is unfortunate that during this historic time of peace in Nepal, our humanitarian operations are being disrupted, preventing us from providing an adequate supply of food aid to needy beneficiaries," said Dominique Hyde, Nepal's deputy country representative for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Over the past two months, WFP operations have been hampered by weeks of strikes, limiting its ability to replenish food stocks at distribution warehouses that support food aid programmes.

"Disruption of food deliveries and essential services due to repeated transport strikes will cause unnecessary suffering to those who already deal with significant hardship," Hyde said.

There is also a severe shortage of fuel for household cooking and transportation in Terai and Kathmandu.

The roads in Terai remain closed and trucks carrying petroleum and gas products are unable to reach the main cities, including Kathmandu. Many passengers in eastern Nepal have been stuck at airports and hotels desperately waiting for the violence and curfews to end to return to their homes. Communication has also been cut, with reports of telephone lines out of order.

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Last updated:Thu Feb 1 14:42:56 2007