WFP And Unicef To Provide Relief To 5,000 Displaced By Violence In Nepal

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the
United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Nepal will provide urgently
needed
humanitarian food aid and non-food items to 5,000 people displaced
by
communal violence across two districts in western Nepal.



WFP has mobilized more than 70 metric tons of food aid following a
request
by the Government of Nepal to provide emergency humanitarian
food
assistance to the displaced populations gathering in Kapilbastu and
Dang
districts while UNICEF will provide tarpaulins, water
purification
equipment, cooking utensils, hygiene kits and mosquito nets.



"Working in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red
Cross
and the Nepal Red Cross Society, we are doing our best to rapidly
respond
to this humanitarian emergency, but the security situation remains
tense.
WFP food assistance should begin arriving within the next two days as
long
as the security situation does not worsen," said Richard Ragan, WFP
Country
Representative in Nepal.



A reported 31 people have been killed, dozens injured or missing
and
thousands displaced after the death of a prominent local figure
sparked
days of communal violence in the western Terai region bordering India.



"UNICEF is extremely concerned about children caught up in this new
cycle
of violence. All schools in the area remain closed and in some
instances
schools have been razed to the ground depriving children of
their
fundamental right to education," said Gillian Mellsop UNICEF
Representative
for Nepal.



A curfew has been imposed in some areas to curb the violence which
has
resulted in the burning and looting of hundreds of houses, stores,
vehicles
and even schools. Displaced populations are currently living in
public
buildings, schools, army camps or in open spaces for lack of shelter.



"Even more worrying is that children have witnessed or been subjected
to
terrible acts of violence within their communities, some have been
injured
and others are reported missing or separated from their families. We
call
upon all community leaders to end the unrest so that children can begin
to
recover from this tragic episode," said Mellsop.



Many of the people displaced because of violence and insecurity are
from
very poor and marginalized communities who have few resources available
to
cope with the loss of their houses and livelihoods.



"WFP has been able to mobilize only enough funds to provide emergency
food
aid for one month. At this point, it is uncertain what rehabilitation
and
reintegration support may be needed, but we remain ready to
provide
additional humanitarian relief if necessary," said Ragan.



In addition to non food relief items, UNICEF and partners are working
to
restore educational systems, providing teaching and learning materials,
and
psycho-social care and support for traumatised children.



Despite UN calls for the Government to provide public security and
appeals
for calm and tolerance across the diverse communities in the region,
some
of the affected communities remain volatile. The UN human rights
office,
OHCHR, continues investigations into the violence and monitoring work
of
the human rights situation.



It is expected that most of the displaced populations, some of whom
have
fled to India, will return to their homes when the situation calms
down,
except those whose houses have been completely destroyed.

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