F OCHA Situation Overview

Issue No. 8 / October , 7 November 2006

Highlights:

• Two rounds of CPN-Maoist-SPA talks take place; public optimism about the peace process remains generally high; four experts for UN‘s peace keeping mission arrive • Continuing ceasefire allows tens of thousands of Nepalis travel home during the annual festival season • New Nepal representative for OHCHR appointed • CPN-Maoist makes increasing demands for ”coordination‘ with I/NGOs programmes • Malarial outbreak in Mid West • Drought leads to a sharp decline in summer crops output • IASC-Nepal decides to prepare a joint humanitarian appeal for 2007

THE CONTEXT government has announced a reciprocal ceasefire for an indefinite period. Politics and Major Developments For the first time in years, the government-CPN-Maoist Despite the ceasefire, however, the CPN-Maoist and its ceasefire extended right through the festival season, Dashain breakaway TJMM continued to engage in violent clashes; in the and Tihar. The discussions on peace talks between the Seven Eastern district of Saptari two TJMM cadres were reportedly Party Alliance (SPA) and CPN-Maoist started on 8 October. killed and five others injured on 18 October. However, the two The second round of official talks was held on 15 October. The sides made conflicting claims about the casualty figures, each two sides, however, continued to hold informal dialogue at insisting that it had inflicted more damages on the other. SPA various levels right through the reporting period and the public members continue to make claims of routine violations of the optimism about the peace process remained largely high. mutually agreed code of conduct by the CPN-Maoist cadres, such as violent attacks on and abductions of the SPA members. Following identical letters by the SPA government and CPN- Maoist requesting UN assistance in human rights monitoring, Interestingly, both the CPN-Maoist and Nepali Army were electoral observation, management of arms and armed actively engaged in hearts and minds operations to revamp personnel in August, four experts arrived in Nepal in October their public image. CPN-Maoist organized a sanitation to join the Office of the Personal Representative of the campaign in the Mid Western district of Surkhet and the Secretary General (OPRSG). People‘s Liberation Army established a temporary camp in Kailali to discourage criminal activities in the Far Western On 15 October, a new underground outfit, the Nepal Jantantrik Terai. OHCHR has noted that CPN-Maoist cadres have been Party, announced in the Far Western Terai town of Dhangadhi reported as conducting ”law enforcement‘-type activities--as that it will launch an armed struggle in support of the king. It intervening in public fights and abducting individuals for said in a statement that the SPA and CPN-Maoist are not offences such as disturbing the pace and public drunkenness. representative of all the voices in the country. In Kathmandu, the CPN-Maoist mobilized its cadres in For his part, the king ignored the Rayamajhi Commission‘s 18 controlling crime; the party insisted that many criminals were October deadline to furnish details on his role as the head of receiving protection from the police and leaders of mainstream the government, which had indulged in excesses in suppressing political parties. The CPN-Maoist cadres also worked closely the pro-democracy movement in April. with the Kathmandu municipality to clear garbage from the streets. Across the country, they took many revellers into their On 17 October, a nationwide strike led by the Federation of custody during the festival for allegedly disrupting public life; Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) an inebriated village secretary in was made to crippled life. Nine people were hurt in Pokhara when those do 50 sit-ups in public. opposing the strike clashed with the FNCCI supporters. The strike was called to protest the government‘s alleged failure to For its part, the Nepali Army started drafting a new law aimed provide security to members of the business community. at making the army more transparent and democratic. A controversial NA officer, involved in a widely publicized On 18 October, the High Commissioner for Human Rights beating of police personnel in Kathmandu, was sacked. appointed Lena Sundh as head of her Nepal office. Sundh is a Swedish diplomat and former Deputy Special Representative of All over the country extortion by CPN-Maoist continued during the Secretary General with the UN peacekeeping mission in the the reporting period; the party confirmed setting up five Democratic Republic of Congo. permanent points on the East-West Highway in the East to collect road toll. Meanwhile, the CPN-Maoist breakaway TJMM announced on 22 October that it was prepared to enter into peace talks with Also, the CPN-Maoist sister organizations were involved in the government, but confusion remained because the TJMM aggressive recruitment drives and policing. Two youths in has itself splintered into two factions. Dharan municipality were sent to a CPN-Maoist labour camp on charges of misbehaving with women and collecting Conflict and Security donations as CPN-Maoist. On 29 October, CPN-Maoist extended its ceasefire for a three- month period; this was its third ceasefire extension since the The CPN-Maoist abducted a rickshaw puller, a central successful pro-democracy movement in April. The SPA representative of Nepal Free Rickshaw Puller's Union in

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 8/October 1

Dharan, after local rickshaw pullers accused him of financial attendance of development partners, including I/NGOs and irregularities. In a neighbouring town of Ithari, seven persons donors working in the Rapti zone, at an interaction programme including four women were taken in custody on 16 October on where they asked development agencies and donors to come up charges of prostitution. with a plan of action by 26 November on how Rapti could be made a model zone for development. Not all the CPN-Maoist actions have been popularly supported. In Tehrathum and Sankhuwasabha districts, PLA camps were Overall, there were reports of BOGs violations by CPN-Maoist set up in Lasune and Mudhe Sanischare. But efforts to set up in Bhojpur (East); Sindhupalchowk (Centre); Arghakhanchi, PLA base camps in Basantapur in were Kaski, Myagdi (West); Bardiya and Mugu (Mid West)--see strongly resisted by local residents. In , BOGs violations for October. Some NGOs believe it will be residents blocked the traffic on the Koshi Highway on 25 useful to have a common position on issues related to October after the CPN-Maoist cadres took in their custody operational space instead of carrying out individual locals playing cards. In , local residents retaliated negotiations to resolve BOGs violations. against the CPN-Maoist cadres after they seized cash from people playing cards; seven people including four CPN-Maoist In northern Bhojpur, NGOs have reportedly been unable to cadres were injured in the clash that followed. Residents of carry out their activities following the CPN-Maoist directive to Dhulabari in Jhapa district forced to close the office of CPN- have them register and pay tax. Maoist militia, who were based in an abandoned police post. In a statement, CPN-Maoist district government ordered all On 14 October, the business community in Dhulabari shut I/NGOs working in the Eastern district of Terhathum not to down the local bazaar to protest CPN-Maoist taxation and carry out their activities without its permission. The CPN- threatened subsequent closure of other local markets, if the Maoist district chief said the party had been —too liberal in the CPN-Maoist continued to harass the business community. past few months with I/NGOs,“ but insisted that all development partners now needed to register with the party. Extortions of various forms have continued. Foreign trekkers He, however, said that the registration demands will end once entering the Mount Makalu Base Camp in Sankhuwasabha, for CPN-Maoist joins the interim government. example, needed to pay Rs. 5000 per head. And all the locals (See OCHA Thematic Report: Operational Space for seeking foreign employment in the district are reportedly Development and Humanitarian Work - Current Status at charged Rs 5,000 and those returning from foreign www.un.org.np) employment need to pay the "foreign employment tax."

Operational Space

Trends of Reported Incidents Affecting Operational Space

Nov 2005 - Oct 2006 50

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5 0 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06 Apr-06 May-06 Jun-06 Jul-06 Aug-06 Sep-06 Oct-06 Access Denial / Restrictions Extortion / D onation Demands Programme Interference Registration Demand Threats / Vio lence to Staff

The CPN-Maoist demands for registration on I/NGOs, Reach of the State including development works supported by UN, have increased Vacant government buildings and some local government all over the country; I/NGOs were still allowed to continue offices are being increasingly occupied by CPN-Maoist cadres their activities. After a record demand for programme funds right across the country. Some of these buildings are also being right before the festival season, the demands levelled off during used to run health clinics. These buildings include VDC offices, the festivals in a number of districts. In some districts forest and road offices and abandoned police posts. government supported development programmes, however, were completely stopped and many I/NGOs assumed that the In Biratnagar, the CPN-Maoist forcibly placed PLAs in the policies were also aimed at them. vacant fire brigade‘s building, which is owned by the city office. CPN-Maoist has also taken control of parts of Agricultural The chief of CPN-Maoist Magarat Autonomous Region put Research Centre in since 25 October. Many of forward a 6-point development policy for I/NGOs operating in these government buildings have now been turned into the region. On 29 October, the CPN-Maoist sought compulsory unofficial PLA posts.

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 8/October 2

In a press meet in Biratnagar, the Eastern division commander of the PLA claimed that 11 customs posts were closed after Drought orders from the central leadership (17 October). The posts were In a joint initiative, WFP and UNFPA provided essential food established with an aim to check revenue evasion, he said. aid and reproductive health care to hundreds of drought- affected families in Mugu and Humla districts in the Karnali In Nepalgunj in the Mid West, CPN-Maoist held Intellectuals‘ region during the reporting period. In response to WFP field Forum on 28 October and National Medical Conference on 30- monitors reporting a high prevalence of illnesses among 31 October; more than 500 medics with CPN-Maoist affiliation families in the districts, WFP requested UNFPA to conduct reportedly gathered from across the country. mobile reproductive health clinics during WFP food distributions in the area. Medical staff treated nearly 2000 Population movement people with half of the service users being female, including The Peace Secretariat has formed a seven-member task force treatment on prolapsed uterus--a major reproductive health under a joint secretary from the Ministry of Home to revise the concern in Nepal. WFP distributed rice and wheat soy blend current IDP Policy as it does not take into consideration all the rations to nearly 5000 people from eight VDCs in Mugu and basic principles and recommendations stipulated by the UN Humla districts. UNFPA distributed medicines to patients and Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement. to local health clinics.

At a meeting with the IDP Coordination Committee, the Mechi- Koshi Bureau In-Charge of CPN-Maoist agreed to facilitate the return process of 10 IDP families based in Biratnagar. 31 IDPs from in the Far West living at Rajena camp in Banke returned home on 20 October. With support from CARITAS Nepal, the BEE Group, INHURED and Peace Campaign Alliance facilitated the returns. 60 IDPs have been reported to have returned home from Taplejung DHQ.

The ongoing peace process and continuing ceasefire has led to a massive population movement across the country during the annual festial season. Tens of thousands of Nepalis returned

home for Dashain from across the border in India and for the P F W time in years, many others travelled to their rural homes from : t i

the cities. The number of vehicular traffic in the East increased d e five-fold in Dashain compared to last year, according to the r C

o local traffic police. t o h

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HUMANITARIAN UPDATE WFP supported food distribution in WFP's efforts to distribute food to over 225,000 drought- Health affected people in 10 districts of Mid- and Far-Western Nepal On 29 October the Public Health Officer in the in continued during the reporting period (see reports and press the Mid West reported 12 deaths in three VDCs (Village releases at www.un.org.np for details). Development Committee) within a span of one week. Symptoms preceding death were fever, chills, rigor, body-ache and losing consciousness. The next day a district RR team visited the affected VDCs and drew 200 blood samples; 120 were examined and two were PF malaria positive. This is an area that has not had malaria in the last 15 years. The affected area, with an estimated population of 5,000-10,000, was severely flooded during the monsoon.

WHO‘s IPD surveillance officer visited the zonal hospital in Nepalgunj to discus his findings with the District Health Officer and a senior adviser from the Ministry of Health.

An EDCD/NPHL team visited the area with supplies and also P for further investigation. The Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) F W

: for PF, Dengue and JE were made available. Focal spray and t i d mass drug administration for malaria has also started in the e r C area. The area is difficult to access as it lies across a major river o t without a bridge. o h P Earlier, eight people died and hundreds others were affected A doctor examines a woman at a UNFPA run clinic in Mugu district due to an unidentified disease in Belapur, in in the Far West. Health workers suspect the disease could either be malaria, Dengue, or Japanese Encephalitis. Meanwhile, according to the field update issued by WFP in October on the status of the summer crops, the drought has Local media and NGOs indicated that there was an outbreak of had a profound impact on the production levels of the main typhoid fever in and other adjoining summer crops. The key area of concern is in the Eastern Terai areas in the East in the reporting period. (Dhanusa, Siraha, Saptari and Udayapur districts) where the

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 8/October 3 paddy production has been severely affected. This area COORDINATION contributes 13.5% to the national paddy production. The Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives has requested WFP The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) representing UN and FAO for a joint crop assessment, which started on 29 agencies, Red Cross and INGOs met on 30 October to look into October; the results will be released by the end of November. 2007 programmes and potential appeal mechanisms for outstanding humanitarian issues. The meeting, chaired by the UN Humanitarian/Resident Coordinator, agreed on the need to prepare within December a joint appeal to continue the response to a number of humanitarian and protection needs. The OCHA team is currently leading the process in consultation with the lead sector group.

For further information please contact: Macarena Aguilar, Advocacy / Public Information Officer: [email protected]; mobile: 9851014276 Akhilesh Upadhyay, Public Information Officer: [email protected]; mobile 9851001654.

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 8/October 4