Kathmandu, November 27

Senior citizens have expressed worries about the impact of prolonged crisis of essential supplies on the aging population.

“The devastating earthquake of April 25 and its subsequent aftershocks affected more senior citizens compared to other age groups. While the government has yet to start rehabilitation programmes for the elderly people, the protest under way in the southern plains for the past three months and blockade at Nepal-India border checkpoints have added to their woes,” a press statement issued by the National Senior Citizens Federation Nepal said today.

With breakup of the extended family system and the rising trend of young ones leaving for greener pastures abroad, the elderly have been left to fend for themselves. “As senior citizens in many houses are living alone, many of them have not even been able to collect the old age allowance they are entitled to,” said Dr Gauri Shankar Lal Das, chairperson of the NSCFN. The government provides Rs 500 as old age allowance to the elderly per month.

Shortage of fuel, cooking gas and other essential commodities has been crippling the normal life of senior citizens. “Senior citizens are not in position to travel from one place to another as the only few public vehicles available are overcrowded.

Moreover, shortage of cooking gas has left them without digestible foods and they have not been able to receive emergency health services.”

The NSCFN has also appealed to the government and the agitating parties to find a way-out to the existing problem through dialogue. It has also asked the concerned authorities to provide essential goods, including cooking gas, to the elderly.

According to the 2011 census of Nepal, there are 2.5 million elderly persons, which constitute nine percent of the total population of the country. A majority of elderly in Nepal are living in rural areas and depend on agriculture. They usually suffer from deprivation, illiteracy and poor health.

Elderly widows suffer the most.