Delay in delivery of supplies to quake-hit areas worries UN

Kathmandu, October 16

The United Nations today expressed concern about the acute shortage of fuel that has affected the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the earthquake-affected areas in Nepal.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Humanitarian Community, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, Jamie McGoldrick, also stressed on the urgency of delivery by end of this month as the winter is approaching.

He further noted that the humanitarian organisations based in Nepal are facing a hard time to ensure delivery of urgently required supplies such as food and shelter materials to the areas at higher altitude those are likely to be cut off soon with the onset of winter.

“The onset of winter in Nepal is projected to have an adverse impact on earthquake-affected communities living in high-altitude isolated areas,” read the statement.

Saying only a small time window remains before the available land access trails closes by the coming weeks, McGoldrick added, “Due to obstruction caused after the onset of monsoon season, limited items have been delivered by road and air. A backlog of 1,200 MT of shelter and non-food item is yet to be delivered to earthquake-affected population.”

According to him, 80 per cent of the supplies have been warehoused in the districts, but acute shortage of fuel continues to impede planned deliveries to affected villages. It is of utmost importance to deliver supplies to the trail-heads by end of October as the passes in the Himalayas will be at increased risk of being blocked by snowfall, he said.