Two months into the fuel crisis in Nepal,
due to the unofficial India border blockade, the situation for all Nepali
people is dire. Food prices have gone up first 30%, then 50% and rising.
There is a four times increase in the price of fuel and a thriving black market - people are only
travelling where absolutely necessary and many are suffering for lack of fuel and queueing for hours, sometimes sleeping in cars for 2 or 3 days. People queued outside our house for 14 hours one day for 3 litres of kerosene. Ambulances are running a skeleton service and hospitals are
suffering severe shortage of medical supplies and medicines. This then is the
impact of political interference from India, a lack of coordinated attempt by
the Nepal Government to resolve political issues and also their failure to act
quickly and decisively to sign agreements and release the funding allocated for
the reconstruction work.
Outside our house -containers strung together in queue
Despite the wrangling and delays
all agencies have been up against, we have, due to very patient, careful
diplomacy at district level, now managed to get agreements signed off for all
our activities.
We have managed to procure for the Northern
area the 8,000 blankets and mattresses, all produced in Nepal. The mattress
production depends on a gas supply which is in very short supply so after inevitable delays in sourcing these from far and wide it was an amazing achievement. These have
now all been brought to our office warehouse in Dhading. Last week our local
partners supplied the most remote areas. From the warehouse they were
transported on local 4 wheel drive trucks 5 hours drive up a steep, rough
gravel road. From there 200 local porters carried them to the distribution
points in Lapa, a 2 days walk up steep mountain paths.
Woman porter ready to carry her load 2 days walk from road-head
Our two construction managers have just
completed a 7 day mason training for professionals in earthquake resistant
construction. Next week a training for our sub engineers will take place. They
will then train local masons and build demonstration earthquake resistant
houses. Local masons will then be able to work on house building in their
communities. Unfortunately all agencies are still awaiting final Government
approval for the release of promised funding for the house building programmes.
Our new staff with partner staff have been
carrying out improved livestock shed construction training with local farmers
as many sheds were destroyed in the earthquake.
This part of our disaster response has been fully approved and we are
able to supply the tools and materials for this rebuilding to continue.
Other essential work has been a full
technical assessment of drinking water systems, school buildings, paths and
bridges ready for this rebuilding work to commence.
The wheat seed we provided earlier is now
growing well in the Northern area which means that people will be more self
sufficient for the winter.
2 days later blankets arrive at a distribution point
So in spite of the delays, endless
necessary negotiations, shortage of fuel and supplies I feel a sense of hope
and thankfulness, as winter sets in, that we are able to respond to those in
most need.
This is our last blog of 2015! We are back
in UK for Christmas and New Year and especially look forward to being with our
family and friends to celebrate Peter and Nikki’s wedding on December 22nd.
Due to the ongoing project needs we have agreed to extend our time in Nepal
until June 2015.
Thank you to all for your interest and
support.
We wish you all the joy and peace of
Christmas and a very happy new year.
Finlay and Rachel
See new UMN video - interview with Finlay's colleague Peter Lockwood:
http://www.umn.org.np/videos/600
