Persisting food shortages highlighted as monsoon nears
As the consequences of the recent earthquakes continue to be felt and the monsoon nears, FIAN Nepal reports relief materials are unreachable for many and lists a series of recommendations.
With food stocks, livestock and agricultural fields severely damaged, the latest monitoring reports note there is an inadequate and discriminatory distribution of food, as relief materials fail to reach “the real earthquake victims”. In alignment with its first communiqué on the issue, FIAN International regrets the most affected are once again being neglected, and calls on the Nepalese authorities to ensure that distribution of food is carried out according to priority needs on the ground, and that it adheres to human rights principles and social justice during a humanitarian crisis.
Fear grips communities as the monsoon is about to hit the country, especially in the most remote areas, where 70% of households have poor or borderline food consumption. Monsoons are rainy seasons, which often have serious consequences in countries with low resilience and prompt widespread floods and landslides. As things stand in Nepal, hundreds of thousands are without decent shelter and food, and the monsoon season could lead to far greater damage and worsen the existing situation.
Commenting on the current state of food distribution and access, Dr. Sarba Raj Khadka, FIAN Nepal chairperson, states: “Understanding the logistical difficulties, the relief operations face given that the roads accessing to villages have been destroyed, if the Nepalese authorities fail to reach out to most affected areas and distribute supplies before the onset of the monsoon, the situation will worsen considerably and people’s lives will be at risk. The government should make more efforts to provide relief support to poor, marginalized and the most affected people and make sure that special support is provided to lactating and pregnant women as well as children. ”
On a similar note, FIAN Nepal warns that longer term food supply is necessary, as serious food deficit over the next few months is anticipated by experts. “Seeds, fertilizers, agricultural inputs, amongst others, should therefore be provided as soon as possible to those farmers affected by the earthquake,” Dr. Khadka advises. FIAN Nepal’s chairperson also expresses concern over the apparent mismanagement and misuse of emergency relief materials, and underlines that strong monitoring is needed. “Strict monitoring is necessary to regulate and control the market price hike and to prevent black market practices of relief materials, predicted over the next few months. Besides the government should consider taking stringent action against the wrongdoers,” he adds.
Although we have witnessed an immediate response from the international community, those most affected feel dismayed as the relief materials have reached them with a considerable delay, and preventive measures ahead of the monsoon appear not yet to be in place. “Some affected communities fear the season and demand temporary shelter as an urgent primary need. Others living in the remote hill areas need relocation to a safer place within the next month,” Dr. Khadka concludes.
FIAN International, together with FIAN Nepal, encourages the Government of Nepal and its development partners to take all these recommendations on board and to conduct a better coordination among concerned agencies. The government should strengthen, coordinate and facilitate a system whereby all relief service providers can carry out a proper and systematic distribution that also reaches out to those most affected, particularly ahead of the monsoon season.