Medical emergency looms as fuel crisis in Nepal continues

Posted by Tina Gardner on 30/11/2015
Photo: think4photop / Shutterstock

The fuel crisis in Nepal is ongoing and is severely hampering relief efforts in Nepal. This adds insult to injury for the Nepalese people as they struggle to recover from the earthquakes which hit earlier this year.

The crisis has been triggered by protests arising from Nepal’s new constitution. For over 100 days now, there has been unrest in Nepal as ethnic communities in the south protest against the boundaries of the new provinces proposed by Nepal's new consitution.

Relations have soured with India, causing a border blockade that has made it difficult for fuel tanker lorries to enter the country. India has denied imposing a blockade, saying that trucks are not crossing into Nepal because of security fears surrounding the protests.

According to Comminuty Action Nepal (CAN)'s ground staff, there is not only a fuel blockade but vital medicines are being prevented from getting into the country. Doctors are now warning of a medical crisis.

The charity has sent out another recce team to their projects in Nepal. Doug Scott and his team hope to visit CAN projects to monitor progress and provide encouragement as they rebuild better.

Denise Prior of CAN reports: "All our nurses came down from the remote health posts for Deshai and Tihar festivals (equivalent of Christmas) and for two weeks refresher training and now find they cannot return to their posts, thus endangering the health of their patients."

"The fuel blockade has also affected the trekking and climbing business because of the extreme difficulties in getting clients to and from their walk in. Clients are being transported in tuk tuks."

The latter is not so much of an issue now that the trekking season is drawing to a close.

The BMC has approached government through the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Mountaineering to press them to help stop the blockade.

We await the next report from Doug and his team.
 
 

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