F OCHA Nepal Situation Overview

Issue No. 33, covering the period 26 August-8 September 2008 Kathmandu, 9 September 2008

Highlights:

• Koshi River flood relief efforts in Sunsari and Saptari districts continue • Relief operations led by the Government and supported by the humanitarian community through cluster approach • Newly formed Government starts out with initiatives on law and order, frees semi-bonded labourers • Tension between political groups on local level continues, including occasional clashes of youth groups • Food crisis persists in Mid and Far West, compounded by supply problems • Security in Terai remains of concern, due to armed groups and criminal gangs

CONTEXT the cadres of the two groups in different locations, Minister of Home Affairs Gautam has called on both the YCL and the Political situation Youth Force to show camaraderie as both aim to establish peace. Clashes were also reported between Maoists and Following Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal‘s return supporters of the MPRF, the other large coalition partner in from his trip to China, the remaining open issues regarding Government. the formation of the government were sorted out and the Communist Party of Nepal œ UML joined the government with six Ministers, including with the second rank in protocol, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Bam Dev Gautam, who also serves as Minister of Home Affairs.

The current legislative Parliament session of the Constituent Assembly (CA) began on 5 September, for the first time after the new coalition government was established.

The Nepal Government will be presenting its policies and programmes to the CA. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav is scheduled to address Parliament on 10 September to outline the government‘s policies and programmes. Finance Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai will also present the first budget of the new government during this session. Committees and sub-committees relating to the drafting of the new Flood-hit areas in Sunsari district. Photo: OCHA constitution will also be formed during the current session. Public statements and discussions between parties were also On 7 September, the Nepali Congress (NC) Central related to security sector reform and army integration, the Committee meeting decided to break its —working alliance restructuring of the State of Nepal according to federalist with the CPN-Maoist“, accusing the CPN/M of heading to the principles, as well as the relationship between the —path of a dictatorship“ and announced that it will not Government and the CA in that regard. support or oppose the Government as per its performance in the days ahead. However, the NC committed to supporting On 7 September, PM Dahal assured that his party would the Government to bring the overall peace process to a return captured land and property to their respective owners logical end and to actively extend support in the drafting of soon. —The policy and program on returning captured lands the new constitution. and properties will be implemented soon,“ the Prime Minister was quoted as saying. Despite the new alliance formed between the six parties represented in Government, occasional altercations between The date for the official visit of PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal to the Maoists and other party supporters in outlying areas India was fixed from 14 to 18 September. continued to be reported. Problems often involved the YCL and the newly established Youth Force of the UML, the Safety and security second partner in government. CPN-UML leaders have lauded the role of its militant wing, stating that the Youth The newly-appointed DPM and Home Minister Bam Dev Force was able to check Maoist YCL activities to some extent Gautam has expressed the commitment to strengthen law and decided to expand the Youth Force‘s organization, while and order in Nepal. He emphasized that the law enforcement stressing that the Youth Force will act as a peaceful agencies should step up their operations and vigilance with a organization and shun violence. The Youth Force is designed view to ensuring that those who break the system and to —counter all anti-social activities of the YCL, launch a procedures are brought to justice. He also hinted at the need campaign against corruption and mismanagement and to to revamp and reshuffle the law enforcement mechanism to assist in the peace process“. inject new energy and capacity in the law enforcement organization to enable it to carry out the tasks and Meanwhile, Maoist-affiliated YCL cadres clashed with the responsibilities in an efficient and effective manner, media UML‘s Youth Force in Dhankuta, which led to a 3-day curfew reported. there. Following this and other reports of clashes between

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 33/9 September 2008 1

Subsequently, the MoHA has issued 15 instructions to police concerns, according to local media reports. Local residents for the regulation of the sale of liquor, entry to casinos, limit have to walk for days to receive services, including, birth ”dance restaurants‘, curb smuggling and increase revenues, registration, marriage and death certificates from the VDC check the activities of Tibetan refugees and take effective Secretaries. Some people have to walk for five to seven days measures to reduce traffic accidents. Large numbers of police and spend NPR 2,000 to reach DHQ. were deployed evenings in Kathmandu and the authorities issued notices demanding disco and bar owners to close after The VDC Secretary of Kailpalmandu VDC in Dadeldhura 2300hrs. District was reported missing for the past five months. The family members of the missing VDC Secretary have urged the DPM and Home Minster Gautam also stated that the District Administration, Human Rights workers and Government would soon hold talks with all the armed groups journalists to help to trace the missing VDC Secretary. that are active in the Terai, and noted that force will be used against groups not ready to engage in political talks. On 6 September, the VDC Secretary of Bhediya in Siraha, who had been abducted by an unidentified group on 23 Police have arrested five people allegedly involved in last August, was released at Raghupur in Siraha. month‘s bomb blast at Vice-President Paramananda Jha's house. They are members of the so-called Rastriya Mukti On 1 September, the VDC Secretary Rights Preservation Morcha. Centre in Sunsari began a movement closing all the 49 VDC offices of Sunsari for an indefinite period. Stating that the Security incidents continued to be reported from across the government was silent over the abduction and disappearance country, with a concentration in the areas of the Terai which of a VDC secretary in Siraha district by an unidentified were affected by the activities of armed groups and criminal armed group earlier this summer, the centre has informed activities over the past months. Incidents included that all the VDC offices will be closed unless the victim is abductions, killings, threats and explosions. On 1 September, released without harm. an unidentified gang abducted a person in Ramnagar of Mahottari. On 2 September, a bomb was exploded targeting a A number of ethnic-based organizations have also continued textile factory in Birgunj, Parsa, for which the Janatantrik their attacks against State representatives and institutions, in Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM)-Prithvi has claimed particular in the Eastern region, which represents a challenge responsibility. On 3 September, a local businessman was to the state in those areas. On 1 September, the Limbuwan abducted by an unidentified group in Saptari. Also on 3 Volunteers, affiliated with Sanghiya Limbuwan Rajya September in Mahottari, an unidentified group abducted a Parishad (SLRP) imposed a prohibitory order in Phidim man of Gannarpura, and an unidentified group killed a Bazar of Pancthar district and other adjoining areas, Maoist worker. On 4 September, an NC activist was shot by imposing a nighttime curfew in order to curb criminal two unknown people, and later died due to injuries. On 5 activities. Affiliates of the Federal Limbuwan State Council September, a woman from Udaypur Gharmi of Parsa district (FLSC), an ethnic-based armed group, have reportedly died after being shot by unidentified armed criminals in an demanded large sums in ”donations‘ from banks and attempt to kidnap her husband. Five others were also injured businessmen in Jhapa. On 2 September, FLSC members in the incident, two of them critically. On 6 September, an disrupted the Dhude-Mai stretch of the East West Highway unidentified group abducted one person from his house at for some hours demanding the release of two of their Tribhuvan Nagar of Sarlahi district. On 7 September, cross members arrested by police for forcefully collecting firing between police and cadres of JTMM-Jwala Singh ”donations‘ from vehicles along the route. reportedly occurred at Shreepur Katuar of Mahottari. Also on 7 September, an unidentified group abducted the principal of On 2 September, cadres of the Kirant Janwadi Workers‘ a boarding school in Rajbiraj of Saptari. On the same day, an Party (KJWP) burned the documents and furniture of the unidentified gang gunned down a local resident in Chanai of office of Kot VDC in Bhojpur district for not providing Kapilvastu district. ”donations‘. The group has also threatened the VDC Secretary to not perform official duties. Reportedly, the KJWP agreed Strikes and bandhs also continued to affect some parts of the not to attack the VDC offices and police posts in a written country. Road blocks and strikes had a negative effect on the agreement made with the CPN/M at Chisapani of Khotang relief effort in response to the Koshi flood in Saptari and district in August. Sunsari districts. The strikes and blockades were most often triggered by local issues and disputes, as well as following Operational space traffic accidents, rather than country wide political agitation. The East-West Highway in the Eastern Region has been Reach of the State impassable since 18 August due to the flood waters. Humanitarian and development operations in the Eastern In view of the lack of presence of state officials in many rural region are affected. In addition to this physical obstruction, parts of the country, the newly established government has security concerns have affected some of the humanitarian resolved to send about 1,500 Village Development operations within the flood response in Saptari and Sunsari. Committee (VDC) secretaries currently operating from Road blocks and strikes have occasionally delayed or district headquarters to their respective VDCs by the third obstructed relief transports in other parts of the country. The week of September. The Government stated that it will make UN and the humanitarian community has called on the the necessary security arrangements for the purpose. Over Nepal authorities and the people of Nepal to enable 100 out of some 4,000 VDCs in the country are entirely humanitarian access. without secretaries. In many districts of the Terai, VDC secretaries have not been able to go to their duty stations due HUMANITARIAN SITUATION to insecurity. The information provided below summaries the situation in Saptari For instance, in Rukum, out of 43 VDC Secretaries, 35 live and Sunsari as a result of the Koshi River floods and the related and work from Musikot, the DHQ of Rukum, due to security relief efforts. For more detailed information, please see the Situation Reports specifically focussing on that emergency, as well

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 33/9 September 2008 2 as other reports and updates provided on OCHA‘s UN Nepal by the disruption of surface transport due to landslides and Information Platform. floods at different places of the district.

Protection The Nepal Electricity Authority has been reported to prepare 25-35 hours per week load shedding across Nepal beginning On the occasion of the International Day for the Disappeared 9 September citing disruption in electricity generation at 29 August 2008, Richard Bennett, OHCHR-Nepal Kulekhani and Marsyangdi power plants. Transmission line Representative in Nepal reiterated OHCHR‘s encouragement damages due to the Koshi flood had led to the earlier to the Government of Nepal to establish a commission to introduction of load-shedding than in previous years. Urban investigate the fate of the disappeared and hold accountable residents as well as industries will be mostly affected by the individuals from both parties to the conflict who are found shutdowns. responsible for those acts. OHCHR welcomes that the establishment of a Disappearances Commission, remains a Health priority of the political parties and forms part of the Common Minimum Programme of the newly formed The focus of the health sector has been disease prevention in Government. OHCHR also called on Nepal to consider the flood hit areas in Sunsari and Saptari following the Koshi ratification of the International Convention for the flood. The resources of the Ministry of Health have been Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. mobilized, and WHO, with essential stand-by medicine stocks, was able to respond promptly, sending drugs and Following a Supreme Court decision, the Government has emergency medicines to treat 5,000 severe cases, provide declared the semi-bonded labor practice of Haliyah as health kits for 120,000 people for one month, malaria kits illegal. The Federation of Haliyah Emancipation Societies for 10,000 people for three months and diarrhoeal said some 20,000 Haliyahs will be emancipated with this medications to help over 5,500 patients. The agency is declaration. Estimates say that some 60,000 bonded helping the authorities to monitor the health status of the ploughmen and their family members may be affected by the displaced, and is also helping the Ministry of Health and practice which was common in the Far Western Region. The Population in preparing a massive measles and polio challenge for the government will now be to provide support vaccination campaign for children, slated to begin next week. to these people similar to the bonded labourers released in similar schemes earlier, such as the Kamaiya. With its 6 However, the health situation of the flood affected September decision, the Government also declared a waiver communities is dire. More than 1000 cases of diarrhoea and of all the loans the Haliyah had taken. The government also dysentery have been reported in the flood-hit areas. More formed a nine-member committee, headed by Minister for than two dozen flood-affected people have succumbed to Peace and Reconstruction, to implement the 13-point diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea. Cases of cholera agreement reached with the Haliyah Liberation Federation. were also documented. The civic authorities apprehended The committee will comprise six members from the that the situation might worsen, as the conditions in the federation and three from the government. camps for the flood affected remain far from satisfactory.

Food security As is common during the monsoon season, diarrhoea has also affected a number of other areas across the country. On WFP is ramping-up operations over the next two months to 30 August, six people reportedly died of dysentery in deliver food to 250,000 people suffering from the effects of Deuralikot VDC, in Bajhang, within less than a week. It takes last winter‘s drought, trying to recover from the conflict and two days to reach the remote village from DHQ and the those struggling with the impacts of high food prices. Food telephone service has been disrupted. More than 12 people assistance under this operation will be provided via food for are reportedly receiving treatment in the District Public work activities in Accham, Bajura, Dadeldhura, Dolpa, Doti, Health Office, Chainpur and Seti Zonal Hospital, Dhangadhi Humla, Jarjarkot, Jumla, Kailikot, Mugu and Rukum. WFP for dysentery. A medical team led by a medical doctor was still needs an additional US$ 20 million in resources to sent to the village to control the disease. A diarrhoea provide critical food assistance to families that are becoming outbreak has also been reported from Banke: On 1 increasingly vulnerable because of high food prices. September, more than 400 people fell sick in Sonbarsa VDC after the outbreak of diarrhoea spread due to the The chronic food insecurity in the hills and mountains of the contaminated drinking water. MWR/FWR continues. Dailekh district has suffered from food shortages as food supply to the district had yet to reach Education the district. There is a demand for 200 tons of rice in the district headquarters but only 700 quintals have so far The Government has said it will provide school education reached the district, media reported. The food shortage in the from Grade 1 to 8 free of cost in government schools across district has worsened after the 3,500 quintals of rice the country from mid-December. allocated for the district under the annual quota for supply to the main food depot in the district headquarters and seven Private Boarding Schools of Banke remain closed for more other local depots could not be transported due to the than a week due to teachers‘ agitation since 31 August, shortage of a contractor. seeking the fulfilment of their various demands.

People in remote Jajarkot district also suffered from food In Kalikot, the frequent landslides in August reportedly shortages, as the depot of Nepal Food Corporation was damaged six schools in Mugraha, Khina, Thirpu, Raku, reportedly out of stock. Many villagers who had come to the Dhaulagoha VDCs and one in Manma DHQ. district headquarters to buy rice had to return empty handed. The Nepal Food Corporation has stopped selling food grains Floods/Disaster relief after it ran out of stock. Prices of rice and other commodities are significantly higher than in lower lying, more accessible Following the breach of the Koshi River of its eastern areas of Nepal. The shortage of food in Jajarkot is aggravated embankment on 18 August, it has subsequently changed course and about 80% now flows through the gap and across

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 33/9 September 2008 3 four VDCs of Sunsari district, and then on into Bihar of While it remains uncertain when the flood water will subside India, where it has displaced several million people. In and allow a safe return of the displaced communities to their Nepal, the number of flood affected persons is estimated at homes - and many are likely to find a washed out field of silt 70,000. The relief effort has been coordinated by the Central instead of their houses and fields - the schools also need to be Natural Disaster Relief Committee, regional structures as reopened for students in the affected districts. The well as the District Disaster Relief Committees on the ground Government has therefore identified two longer term shelter in both Sunsari and Saptari, to where more than 40,000 sites in Sunsari, one at an unused prison at Jhumka, and one people are displaced from the flood waters. In the districts, in Laukahi VDC, where displaced persons are to be resettled the efforts are led by the Chief District Officers and the Local in the coming days. Additional sites also need to be identified Development Officers, and involve all relevant government and prepared to serve as shelters. line agencies. The Nepal Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of volunteers and the humanitarian community in Nepal is In the coming months, considerable relief efforts need to be engaged in all aspects of the flood response, through the undertaken to feed and care for the displaced communities coordination framework of clusters/taskforces on local level. until they can return to their homes, which must be followed by sizeable recovery and rehabilitation programmes for the The eminent challenges include the engineering task of entire area. The necessary multi-sectoral coordination and redirecting the river into its former track, thus stopping the planning will seize the attention and resources of the inundation of southern Sunsari and thousands of Indian humanitarian community in Nepal for months to come. villages. The authorities and technical teams of Nepal and India cooperate closely in this regard and have focused so far Floods and landslides on a smaller scale were also reported on stabilizing the embankment, thus preventing it from from other parts of the country. collapsing further. India, by a 1950s agreement between the two countries, is responsible for the maintenance and repair On 31 August, local media reported that the community in of the Koshi barrage installations and spurs. Due to the Mahendranagar of Kanchanpur in the Far West Region were disruption of the East West Highway caused by the flood concerned over water seepage from the Tanakpur dam on the waters, the areas east of the site are effectively cut of from Mahakali River. Residents appealed to the authorities to the rest of Nepal. A repair of the road remains elusive until prevent the impact of what they consider an imminent the river is forced back into its track. Efforts are therefore disaster. Several spurs of the dam were damaged due to under way to construct an alternative route using ferries and flooding and erosion. The Hydropower Corporation has boats across the river. opened seven flood gates after the leakage became known.

The situation of the displaced population also remains a COORDINATION significant challenge to the authorities and all relief organizations involved. At present, some 50,000 (including The cluster system has now been formalized by the an estimated 10,000 Indians from Bihar) are temporarily put Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) (letter to the ERC on 9 up in schools and ad hoc shelter camps in both Sunsari and September). Clusters established include health (WHO), Saptari, including along the embankments near the flooded nutrition (UNICEF), WASH (UNICEF), food (WFP), villages. Despite relentless efforts by the government and the education (UNICEF/SCF), protection (OHCHR), camp aid community, the conditions in these sites has yet to reach coordination and camp management (IOM), and emergency acceptable standards, and the recent outbreaks of sanitation- shelter (IFRC). The HC is also planning a Central Emergency related diseases have caused concern. More than two dozen Response Fund (CERF) request for resources to support flood victims have already died in the past two weeks due to emergency life-saving activities. A request has been the prevailing conditions. Thousands have also found shelter submitted to the Emergency Relief Coordinator. with relatives, although after three weeks the capacity for providing such hospitality has begun to wear thin in many An UNDAC (UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination) parts. At least 10,000 displaced have also entered Nepal from team was deployed to Nepal on 5 September for a period of 2 India, often because the nearest high ground for Bihari weeks to support the ongoing response operation, including villagers was across the border. Many Indians also have through coordinating inter-agency assessments, family on the Nepali side. strengthening coordination structures in the field, and supporting information management. On 4 September, the Government declared 10 VDCs in Sunsari and 1 VDC in Saptari as disaster areas according to UPCOMING EVENTS the 1982 Natural Calamity Act (PashimKusaha, Shreepurjabdi, Haripur, Laukahi, Basantapur, Bhokraha, Duski, Madhuban, Narsingha, RamnagarBhutaha and - Contact Group Meeting, Kathmandu, 17 Sept, 1030, UN Inaruwa Municipality in Sunsari, and Bhardaha in Saptari). Conf. Room , contact: Aditee Maskey ([email protected]) - Protection Workshop, 23-24 Sept, Kathmandu (Soaltee Hotel), Contact: Vincent Omuga ([email protected]) - Nepalgunj Contact Group Meeting; 26 Sept

Disclaimer: The information in this report is consolidated from media, UN, NGO, and other humanitarian partners, subject to availability of data. Although OCHA aims to confirm reports independently, occasional factual inaccuracies can occur. For inputs, questions or comments please contact: Marcus Brand, Humanitarian Affairs Analyst on ph. 98418 29420, [email protected]

Wendy Cue, Head of Office OCHA Nepal Tel. +977 (1) 559-2311 [email protected] Visit the Nepal Information Platform at http://www.un.org.np

OCHA Nepal Situation Overview, Issue No. 33/9 September 2008 4