Details of Response
Emergency: Cold wave in plain and snow fall in hills in western Nepal
Date of Emergency: 14 January 2014
ACT Requesting Members: Lutheran World Federation Nepal
I. NARRATIVE SUMMARY
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY Lives of the poorest and most oppressed families of the terai (southern plain) and western hill districts of Nepal have been affected by a severe cold wave from the last week of December 2013. No sunlight has been seen for days after a thick fog enveloped the area bringing with it a sudden cold wave following winter rains in some of the districts. Families living in houses with weak insulation structures have been mostly affected by the cold. People are rarely seen outside or even in offices unless there is urgent work. Flights from Kathmandu to the terai and hilly districts have been disturbed due to poor visibility. Road transport has also been affected because of thick fog. Lives of people in the mid and hill districts of the far western region have also been hit hard following winter rain and heavy snowfall. According to the meteorological office, there will be more winter rain and snowfall in the terai and western hill districts in the upcoming days. With snowfall and temperatures dropping across the region -- as low as to minus 15 degrees in some places - people, especially the more vulnerable elderly and children are suffering under the extreme conditions.
Dalits (terai and hill), freed bonded labourers (ex-haliya, ex-kamiaya) and people displaced due to the 2013 flooding have been badly affected. Among them, the elderly and children have been worst affected. In some districts, schools have been closed for over a week. Winter vegetables have been destroyed due to hard frost. There has been a sudden increase in cold-related health problems including common colds, coughing, pneumonia, cold diarrhoea and respiratory problems in local health clinics / hospitals in the districts.