Ramechhap, December 20

The situation of victims rendered homeless by the April 25 earthquake in Ramechhap is getting worse due to extreme cold and lack of aid relief.

The quake victims of the district’s hilly areas have begun to fall sick as temperatures plummeted.

They have been suffering from fever, cough, rheumatism and common cold, among other cold related diseases, after their tents began to leak.

The elderly and children have been affected the most due to extreme cold.

Lakpa Sherpa, a quake victim, said many of them were falling sick after their temporary shelters started leaking. “All the people living in the temporary shelters are falling sick due to extreme cold,” he said.

Nima Sherpa of Gumdel VDC said, “It has become difficult for us to spend nights under leaking tents.” He said they were yet to receive the government-announced relief for purchasing warm clothes. “Almost all the victims are in need of warm clothes,” he said.

Locals of Gumdel VDC said a non-government organisation—Goal—had brought relief materials to the VDC, but was yet to distribute them. But, assistant technician of the VDC Rajendra Karki said he was unaware of any relief materials brought to the VDC although he had seen a helicopter supplying relief items in the area.

The government had announced cash relief of Rs 10,000 each to the quake-hit families for purchasing warm clothes for winter. However, not a single victim has received the amount till date.

Dinesh Karki, a local of Bamti VDC, said the cash relief would be meaningless if the victims did not get it on time.

Number of patients suffering from cold related diseases has increased at the health centres in the hilly regions of Ramechhap.

DDRC, Ramechhap, said as many as 47,000 houses needed to be reconstructed and repaired in the district.