Nepal truckers asked to allow humanitarian food supplies

Nepal truckers asked to allow humanitarian food supplies

By DPA

Kathmandu, Nov 14 (DPA) The World Food Programme (WFP) Tuesday asked striking transport unions to allow free passage to WFP lorries carrying emergency food for 50,000 drought-stricken people in the remote hill areas of western Nepal.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the WFP said the world body was trying to deliver food assistance to the drought-stricken people as well as to over 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in seven camps in far eastern Nepal run by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Nepalese transport unions have been on strike, citing various demands, for over a week across Nepal.

'Over 50,000 hungry people in Humla, Jumla, and Dolpa (in western Nepal) are waiting for our helicopters to arrive so that they can receive desperately needed food rations,' said Richard Ragan, the head of the WFP in Nepal.

In its third phase of emergency operations, WFP is to provide a two-month ration to over 225,000 drought-affected people in western Nepal.

According to the WFP, over 265 helicopter flights were planned out of Surkhet in western Nepal to deliver 730 tonnes of food to the remote areas. In the east, WFP provides food for all seven of the Bhutanese refugee camps.

source: DPA