Bajura, March 11

Prolonged drought has led to shortage of food leaving people malnourished in Bajura.

Maina Rokaya of Bichhaya in Himali Rural Municipality lamented that she was eating just one meal a day to keep alive. When she felt weak, Rokaya visited the nearby health facility, and found that she was malnourished.

Mana Rokaya of the same village delivered a baby two weeks ago. She, however, has not been able to eat properly. She should be eating nutritious food before and after delivery. Rokaya, though, is forced to eat chapati. The health of the newborn is also deteriorating for want of enough breastfeeding.

Bajura faces food crunch every year. Food shortage usually hits pregnant women and new mothers from impoverished families hard. These women get malnourished and children born from them are malnourished too.

ANM Deuma Dhami of Kolti Primary Health Centre said food crisis and erroneous eating habits had left women and children malnourished. “Women and children fall victims to malnutrition in drought-hit areas,” health workers said.

Things are not different in Bajhang, Humla, Mugu, Kalikot and Jumla.

Women and children in these districts too are malnourished. Malnutrition rate is very high due to food shortage and poverty, said ANM Belsari Budha of Raya Health Post in Humla. Subsidised rice reaches many places, but, impoverished people cannot afford to buy rice for lack of cash.

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