BAJURA, MARCH 21

The overwhelming number of the children of Muktikot village, Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality -1, Bajura are suffering from severe malnutrition.

As per locals, as many as 12 children, including infants, have already lost their lives to malnutrition since April 2021.

Despite an increase in the number of malnutrition-related deaths in the region, the authorities, however, have remained apathetic to the situation.

Mansuwa BK, 25, died the next day after giving birth to a daughter on March 15. According to locals, the new mother was severely malnourished, and the infant was born undernourished as well.

Similarly, the newborn child of Rangita BK, 22, perished due to poor nutrition shortly after delivery.

The three-year-old daughter of Janaki BK also died of malnourishment a month ago while the two-year-old daughter of Debu BK also died two months ago. 'My elder son had also died of malnourishment earlier,' Debu grieved.

A team from The Himalayan Times arrived in Muktikot for on-the-ground reporting and learned that 12 newborns had died since the start of the Nepali calendar this year.

The village unfortunately witnesses deaths due to malnourishment every year.

Muktikot has 400 Dalit households and a majority of the members in these homes are undernourished. Death of newborns and children as a result of malnutrition has, sadly, become all too prevalent in the community.

Many youngsters are fighting for their life as a result of starvation as malnutrition has the greatest impact on children and pregnant women.

At the moment, more than 30 children in Muktikot village are malnourished; however, the government has yet to assess and address situation of malnourished children in the community.

Absolutely no measure has been taken by provincial or federal governments to help save new mothers and babies from malnourishment.

The village is distant from the eye of the state, as per Binod Pandey, Programme Manager of Fian Nepal, an organization that works in the field of food rights

Although a community health centre has just been established in the area, it does not provide malnutrition screenings and such essential tests other than basic care.

In the area, a woman can be found giving birth to two to three kids, or more.

Only one general care facility is available in the village, and the locals are unable to travel to a more proper health centre owing to financial woes, according to Belmati BK, who added that she is more concerned with how to make ends meet than with getting treatment in a faraway place.