Nepal humanitarian crisis (2015–2017)

2015-2016 Nepal humanitarian crisis is a humanitarian crisis that developed out of lack of action following the April 2015 Nepal earthquake and its aftershocks and the compounding political factors of the 2015 Nepal blockade.

Announcement

The US embassy in early November 2015 sounded the warning of a humanitarian crisis in Nepal, echoing non-governmental organizations. The issue of post-quake vulnerability has become lost in the increasingly vocal information war between Kathmandu and New Delhi, which has seen public denouncements at various United Nations offices. UNICEF has followed with a warning echoing US embassy statements.

Ethnic Angle

A major humanitarian problem being overlooked by all governments—Nepali Indian or international—is that the most ignored communities, in the most inaccessible regions of Nepal and clinging to high mountain passes have yet to see any quake aid from Kathmandu, and while Kathmandu focuses on the immediate needs of people in the vicinity of cities, sadly the hardest-hit areas of Nepal by the earthquake, such as Gorkha District , sindhupalchowk District and Dolakha District the former where 90% of houses were destroyed, are likely to suffer most as Kathmandu has historically shown very little interest in them and transport is by mule in treacherous mountainous terrain as no roads exist. In particular Tamang and Chepang children were before the fuel crisis already were suffering from severe malnutrition as they were worst off. Having waited until winter is in full swing, the government in Kathmandu, now finally in December gearing for action, is lamenting it cannot efficiently deliver supplies to remote locations without helicopters. By Christmas 2015, snow had already fallen inhabited many parts of the country.

1/3 of all deaths were among Tamang people, and roughly 2/3 of the 600,000 structures completely destroyed were in Tamang dominant areas. It is the poverty, neglect and outright discrimination against Tamangs that makes them even more vulnerable to disasters like earthquakes, landslides and floods—Anthropologist Mukta Singh Lama.

In total, an estimated 600,000 homes were destroyed in the quake (with no donated money reaching any survivors as of Nov.9). These and similar predominately Mongoloid groups that inhabit high mountain homelands are known to international tourists and trekkers through trekking circuits, where the experiences of their sharing their homes and hospitality are an integral part of the trekking experience, yet these very same people are the most vulnerable within Nepal due to their remoteness, post-quake effects, weak political representation, low caste, and the altitude and climate. Goma BK of Gagal Bhadaure Village Development Committee(VDC)-9, Ramechhap said that she was not able to get even 1 kg of rice and one tarpaulin even after walking four hours daily for six days. Rajendra Nepali of Bhimeshwor Municipality-6, Dolakha said that Dalits were excluded during the relief effort because their settlements are located in remote areas and lack access to information.

Humanitarian access

Political leaders did not lose their houses, and they have their warm homes in Kathmandu. only the poor like us suffer like this. They cannot feel our pain unless they spend a night in our shelter—Quake survivor Rani Mhendo Tamang from Haku village.

Humanitarian access to survivors has been lacking, other than the UNHAS air drops, as the government had seized ad-hoc post-quake efforts and resources within the month after the initial quake. This situation did not improve even with the new government of KP Oli in October, only after widespread criticism of impending doom did the government break the logjam and appoint the reconstruction authority head on Dec 25th, who now has the task of racing against time.

Crisis Intensification

Winter Onset

Despite the first politically unified government since before the Nepalese Civil War, no action has been taken in the month since Cabinet endorsed an action plan for releasing grant assistance meant for houses destroyed by the April 25 earthquake. On Nov 26th, some 600 children in Gorkha District have additionally been diagnosed with malnutrition.

We are alive so far. But I do not know if we will still be alive when it starts snowing after a few weeks. We have a choice to either suffocate in the smoke or freeze in the cold.—Quake survivor Karbo Tamang from Haku village.

In the normal winter the prior year without quakes or fuel shortages, an estimated 5,000 children had died from pneumonia exacerbated by indoor pollution from firewood to keep warm, these numbers are expected to rise sharply this winter. While long promised legal traction in preparation for assistance has materialized, the first 2,000 families to actually receive any money they can put to immediate use collected their meagre sums on Dec 20th via Nepal Red Cross for emergency clothing and food, though many complaining its not enough to buy clothing for the entire family let alone any food. As the problems compound, some 3,300 people have been diagnoses with tuberculosis in the West as of Dec 25, a region not affected by the quake. In a twist of irony, on Dec 28th, an ignored and very irritated group of quake survivors sent the Nepali government warm clothes as a symbolic protest. UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) of copters coordinated by the World Food Programme having made 4,784 sorties in the eight months to remote areas, has stopped with last delivery on Dec 31, citing budget just as the worst of winter cold sets in, just as confirmation of cold, disease, and lack of food related deaths in villages make headlines in earnest. The first 3 billion rupees by the Kathmandu government for warm clothing was released Jan 3, 2016 according to Ministry of Home Affairs.

Despite an about turn regarding quake relief by the central government of Nepal around Christmas and early January 2016, and one Army led relief push into remote Gorkha during a blizzard that resulted in only 1 out of 4 villages receiving aid as helicopters had much trouble landing, the Oli government has gone limp on quake commitments and began selling donated food meant for victims to raise money, instead of delivering the goods to survivors (despite that some donated food has long since rotted, its unknown what food they actually sold, however it was criticized by the independent Nepal Human Rights Commission). Additionally the official launch of reconstruction more resembled a religious ceremony than a relief mission.

Additionally, even in the Madhesh plains town of Pokariya, which has well connected infrastructure compared to the Himalayas, some 26 people have died in 2 months, with major news outlets failing to report. Some 400 health facilities were damaged or destroyed in the quake hit mountain region, only 1 had been restored to function, not by the government but by an NGO, as of mid February 2016.

Ongoing Issues

In spite of the first government relief actions and commitments, serious hurdles in execution exist. The quake has not only destroyed homes, but livelihoods, according to a news report, every poor family across the quake-hit Gorkha District ekeing out a living with traditional occupations finds itself in the same kind of predicament (quake destroyed means of livelihood). Once self-sufficient communities have become entirely dependent on aid for survival and extreme depression (mood) is setting in.

People are simply not living well after the disastrous post-quake post-blockade winter. Stress induced insomnia has become commonplace and chronic that is wreaking social havoc. Water scarcity has hit 2.8 million people and over 5,200 drinking water projects. As of March 2016, some 325 water sources in 14 districts have gone dry.

Reconstruction Obstruction

"The NRA should not regulate but facilitate, what we need now is quick decision-making.”— Kenichi Yokoyama, Nepal Director of the Asian Development Bank (in response to March 2016 NRA notice)

In a terse notice in early March 2016, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) directed all relief agencies to stop reconstructing private homes destroyed or damaged in the earthquake for the 2.5 million survivors, without its approval. Although the intentions finally appeared humanitarian this time as to bring the ad hoc relief agencies into oversight, the timing (a year late and after the brutal winter) had rendered a swift and brutal reaction from relief agencies. Infighting between political parties had already led to the extended and bitterly cruel delay in NRA setup, along with willful misleading of survivors regarding money to rebuild and timeliness that only worsened the humanitarian situation, with no government clarification on this. Although the NRA issued a ban, its clear that NGOs are not waiting, nor is the agency seriously seeking to stop them, as a NRA spokesperson stated We don’t mean to stop INGOs and NGOs from reconstruction projects, just to bring them under our jurisdiction. Additionally the agency's response has been that the agency is understaffed and ministries are not cooperating nor attending their meetings. Contemporaneously, the top brass of the government has made it patently clear always been about politicking and little else -- both internally and externally, such as India and China affairs and rolling out the red carpet for dignitaries at the SAARC meeting in Pokhara.

International reactions

United States – On 5 November, the US has expressed deep concern over the critical shortages of essential supplies in Nepal resulting from a volatile situation along the Nepal-India border.

United Nations – On 26 November, United Nations Development Programme Resident Senior Economist Basudeb Guha-Khasnobis stated What could have been transient poverty is turning out to be structural poverty due to delay in reconstruction works.

United Nations UNICEF – On 30 November, UNICEF stated – More than 3 million children under the age of 5 in Nepal are at risk of death or disease during the harsh winter months due to a severe shortage of fuel, food, medicines and vaccines.

United Nations World Food Programme – On 11 December, UN WFP stated – Major disruptions in food and fuel imports across its southern border with India have severely affected Nepal’s supplies and caused a worrying increase in food prices.

External links

• Homeless in winter, Earthquake survivors are desperate, but the government is not (Nepali Times)
• Chepangs in Lothhar fight cold with donated clothes (Kathmandu Post photo feature)
• Nepal's Gurung Community Says Goodbye To A Trying Year (NPR)