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VOL. 27, NO. 34, May 09, 2008 (Baishakh 27 2065 B.S.)
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Blocking Delivery
WFP appeals to locals to stop blocking delivery of food in Humla
By A CORRESSPONDENT
At a time when large number of people living in remote parts of Nepal have been facing the crisis of food, a section of Nepalese has created the hurdles in delivering the food to food deficit areas.
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High Himalayan: Crisis of food |
According to UNWFP press released the United Nations World Food Program has been forced to suspend emergency food assistance for drought victims in Humla because of demands by the local population to expand food aid to less food insecure people in the district. Simikot locals are preventing the movement of WFP aid, staff and implementing partners supporting the relief effort in Humla, and demanding food assistance themselves.
“These groups are blocking the delivery of international humanitarian assistance and their actions are causing thousands of people in Humla to go hungry,” stated WFP Country Representative Richard Ragan.
“We have made multiple attempts to resolve this issue at the local level. Should air operators and our implementing partners continue to face such challenges, we will be forced to suspend all WFP operations that provide food assistance to needy families in Humla, including food for work activities,” warned Ragan.
WFP is providing emergency food relief to thousands of families in Humla that do not have enough food to eat because of severe winter crop failures. In addition to these activities, WFP is also supporting the rehabilitation of 25,000 conflict-affected people through food for work projects in Humla.
“Once again, I urge all parties and individuals to provide unhindered access for WFP contracted air operators and our implementing partners so that critical humanitarian assistance can be delivered to affected populations in a timely and safe manner,” continued Ragan.
THREE JOURNOS KILLED IN LAST ONE YEAR
Three journalists were killed while media persons failed to see the sign of relief from the continued attacks and intimidation from various political groups, armed outfits and state agencies last year.
The murdered journalists are Shanker Panthi, correspondent of Naya Satta daily published from Butwal, Birendra Kumar Sah, correspondent of Avenues Television, Kathmandu and Pushkar Bahadur Shrestha, Editor of two local newspapers-New Highway and New Season - based in Birgunj. Kanchanpur-based journalist Prakash Singh Thakuri has gone missing from Mahendranagar since July, 2007.
According to statistics published by Freedom Forum, Friday, 42 incidents of attack on journalists were recorded in the period of one year from 14 April 2007 to 12 April 2008. 76 incidents of threat on journalists were recorded, 82 journalists were manhandled and 31 had to come across misbehavior from armed groups, security personnel and political party.
During the period, 18 publications (Dailies and Weeklies) and radio stations were forced to remain shut down, in different periods, including Nepal Samacharpatra, The Himalayan Times, Annapurna Post and HBC FM in Kathmandu.
Likewise, 50 journalists working in various media institutions were dismissed from their job owing to the partisan interference and interest and 52 others were arrested by security personnel from various protests and demonstrations staged to exert pressure on the government and agitating groups.
