Incident Reports

Fuel shortage affects of delivery of humanitarian aid: OCHA

2015-10-26

Bagmati, Kathmandu, Kathmandu

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Nepal has expressed worry and concern over the affects of the delivery of humanitarian assistances due to a fuel shortage. A statement issued today by Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal, read that six months after the devastating earthquakes that shook Nepal in April, humanitarian partners provided emergency shelter to over 700,000 families, but the effect of the coming harsh cold weather, coupled with the lack of fuel, is a matter of concern to reach out to the needy with aids in remote and Himalaya areas of Nepal. "While much has been achieved, the humanitarian community remains committed to meet remaining needs," McGoldrick, however, said in the statement. "With the winter on the way, we must ensure adequate shelter and food security, particularly for more than 80,000 families." "But present conditions are a concern. Since the end of September, fuel in short supply has impeded progress," he said. Meanwhile, the Humanitarian Country Team is urging a quick resolution to the fuel shortage so that winter goods can be quickly delivered to vulnerable households. "This massive logistical undertaking can be achieved. But the lack of fuel is significantly affecting distribution of goods," McGoldrick said. Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said that it continues to support the government-led efforts to address food security and livelihood needs in the six most-quake hit districts--- Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Rasuwa and Dolakha. Issuing a press release statement on Sunday, FAO said that six months after the earthquakes, vulnerable farmers in the worst-affected districts still need agricultural inputs to continue the rehabilitation and reconstruction process and revive the agricultural sector. The press release stated that FAO has already completed an emergency distribution of 42,000 5kg bags of rice seed in advance of the monsoon planting season, adding that it has also distributed 30,000 durable grain and seed storage bags, with 40,000 more to follow, and nearly 20,000 25kg bags of high-nutrition animal feed. -

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