National 9 (Spotlight Weekly)

Under Suspension

The latest victim of insurgency is a major poverty alleviation program

By A CORRESPONDENT

At a time when they needed an all-out support, people in Jajarkot and Mugu in the mid-western Nepal have been hurt the most. Citing deteriorating security situation, the United Nation's World Food Program (WFP) and German Technical Cooperation Agency (GTZ) announced last week that they have decided to suspend all support to food-for-work supported development activities through the Rural Community Infrastructure Works (RCIW) Project in these two districts.

A major poverty alleviation program being implemented in 31 out of 75 districts in the country over the last seven years, the project aims to improve the livelihoods of people most vulnerable to food insecurity, living in targeted food-deficit districts. "It is with great regret and sorrow that WFP and GTZ are forced to withdraw our assistance from these two districts", said Douglas Casson Coutts, WFP's Representative in Nepal, in a statement issued Friday. "As often is the case in such situations, it is the poorest and the hungry who will suffer the most. This is particularly tragic, as we are currently in the middle of the prime working season which is also a very lean period of least food availability in these areas."

The WFP and GTZ's decision came after the Maoist rebels looted rice belonging to community working groups under RCIW. A total of 160 metric tonnes of rice provided for Mugu was stored in Kolti, Bajura and additional supplies were on their way to Kolti from Sanfebagar. On April 7, the warehouse staff in Kolti were detained and the entire quantity of 160 MT rice was stolen. RCIW rice en route to Mugu by mule from Sanfe was also looted. Two days later, the rebels looted about 100 MT of RCIW rice stored at Sallibazar for community working groups in Jajarkot district. More RCIW rice en route to Khalanga-Jajarkot and Ghatachaur also appears to have been looted, reports said.

Without naming the Maoists, the statement issued jointly by the WFP and GTZ said they were deeply concerned about these incidents and appeal to the perpetrators of these acts to return the looted food aid to the communities from which it was stolen. "This is food aid which these communities have worked for to build assets important for their future and which is owed to them," said Coutts, the WFP Representative. "We will only be able to continue to support the hungry poor in these food insecure areas if a safe and stable food supply and safe working conditions for our staff members and partners is assured," he added.