Humla, June 2

Humla is currently under acute food crisis caused by a prolonged drought, but the government has yet to take initiative to resolve the issue.

Chief District Officer Krishna Bahadur Ghimire said that people from all the 27 VDCs of Humla have been hit hard by the crisis as it hasn’t rained for the last six months.

The cabinet reportedly decided to send 30,000 quintals of rice to Humla, Mugu, Kalikot and Dolpa of Karnali on May 19 this year. Around 10,000 quintals was to go to Humla, but Narayan Singh KC, chief of Food Corporation, Humla,  said that the district is yet to receive the rice.

KC said that it was impossible to supply rice as now the fiscal year was about to end. “We have discussed this with the concerned authority time and again, but we are yet to be heard,” he said.

KC added that the concerned authority had said that the reason behind the delay in supplying was transportation cost issues.

“The ministry has informed me that they did not have the funds to transport the rice, as it has to be done via helicopters,’ he said.

A local Gyane Rokaya of Maila VDC said that people from Maila, Madena, Shreenagar, Kalika, and Jayar VDCs have left for India insearch of jobs, while others have migrated to Kolti, Martadi, and places in Bajura because of the acute food crisis.

The villagers said that they were compelled to migrate as the state had ignored their predicament.

“We have to move away from our homes because we have no other way to avoid starvation and the government has neglected our pleas for help,” they said.

Dhan Rup Bogati of Madena VDC said that they have been eating wild roots and berries from forests to survive.

Another local Ramila Joshi said that Nepal Food Corporation, District Administration Office, and other government bodies in Humla have done nothing to resolve it.

“Our fertile lands have turned barren due to the long drought,” she said, adding that no one had come to investigate and listen to their problems till date.