United Nations in Nepal

Pabitra Jimba, (31) from Makawanpur District had been in foreign employment for over six years and had been able to support her family back home before she lost her most recent job in the United Arab Emirates to COVID 19. She had been stranded in that country for five months without job before she returned to Nepal in mid-July. She purchased flight tickets on her own as no one – the employer, host and home governments – provided her with support. Similarly, 27-year-old Sarita BK (name changed), originally from Morang district was on her way to Kuwait in March via India but was caught up by the nation-wide lockdown in India and got stuck there for next four months. Unaware that she was travelling undocumented without a work permit, she managed to arrive in Kathmandu in early July with support from various organizations and her relatives. She is a divorcee and is the sole breadwinner of her three-member family. Those are only examples of vulnerable Nepali returnee migrants hard-hit by the COVID 19 pandemic. According to the Government of Nepal, COVID 19 Crisis Management Committee (CCMC), a total of 51,441 Nepali migrants have been repatriated from abroad as of 14 August. According to various sources, an estimated 127,000 Nepalis abroad were in need of immediate assistance and 450,000 migrants excluding those working in India are projected to lose their jobs. This leaves migrants’ families facing the risks and acute consequences of not being able to afford basic needs such as food, education, health and nutrition. With hundreds of thousands of Nepalis back home, and those working in India also losing their jobs and 500,000 Nepali youth entering labour market every year, Nepal’s unemployed population is set to be unprecedented. Nepal, where contribution of remittances to GDP in 2019 was equivalent to 27.3 per cent, lost nearly 50 per cent of remittances in April and May compared to the same period last year according to the Nepal Rashtra Bank, the country’s central bank’s report published in May 2020. This clearly indicates that the socioeconomic effects of the crisis in Nepal are expected to be devastating to its national economy and the overall achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Under these circumstances, the road ahead for the returnee migrants like Pabitra and Sarita does not look an easy one as the Government of Nepal faces a big challenge of reintegrating returnee migrant workers in the national labour market. This requires a comprehensive plan for the creation of employment opportunities, matching skills and interests of returnees as well as needs of the national economy. In order to meet the immediate needs of the returnee migrants like Pabitra and Sarita, a total of 97 (89 female and 8 male) returnee migrants have received direct assistance from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as of 31 July 2020 under an initiative supported by the United Nations Secretary General’s COVID Response Fund. The underlying economic and social vulnerabilities of Nepal are further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. The country-wide lockdown, global economic disruptions and resulting impact on global value chains, plus restrictions in global travel and trade are already severely impacting Nepal’s economy and people’s livelihoods. Those most impacted persons include migrants, both internal and returning from abroad; informal sector workers; and workers in the tourism industry. These sectors are large contributors to Nepal’s GDP. The loss of income is felt at individual and household levels, raising concerns about the means to meet essential daily expenditure including food. In order to meet the emergency needs of the people and to help Nepal build back better, the United Nations provided the UN Secretary General COVID Response Fund to Nepal. The fund will also provide immediate livelihood support and reintegrate the most affected community into employment. The aim of the fund is also to alleviate potential social consequences of a desperate economic situation, including suicide and other negative coping methods such as child labour or child marriage. The fund focused on persons who have the least means of managing external shocks also aims to prevent the loss of development gains among the most vulnerable persons in Nepal. The UN COVID-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund is jointly executed by ILO, IOM, UNDP and UNESCO in Nepal.

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Press Release

03 December 2020

Oped : The challenges people with disabilities face

Richard Howard The year 2020 has thrown unprecedented challenges at all of us, both in Nepal and globally. The pandemic has also impacted people disproportionally. Persons with disabilities that make up 15 percent of the world population, or one billion, are among the hardest hit by Covid-19. One in every five women is likely to experience disability in her life, while one in every 10 children is living with a disability. Of the one billion population of persons with disabilities, 80 percent live in developing countries. These numbers provide a backdrop for thinking about our response to Covid-19 and how we make a dedicated effort to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind. We must ensure their inclusion in our response and recovery efforts. Some disabilities are not visible. Chronic pain, mental illness, chronic fatigue are a few types of invisible disabilities that control people’s lives but do not show in obvious ways. These are people who are regularly told that their disabilities are not real, are made up for sympathy or only imagined and could not possibly be a real medical condition since they walk free from canes or crutches, have functioning limbs, and can seemingly move their bodies just like the rest of us. Society needs to be built so that it is accessible to everyone, including those with less visible disabilities. Nepali society, like most societies, should promote greater understanding and increased accessibility for people with disabilities, who are often treated differently or excluded from the opportunities and conversations open to others. They are pressed to navigate a world that is not built for them. Kindness, compassion and consideration are a good start to ensure that we see and support those who may struggle and suffer in normal times and in times of crisis. When this pandemic passes, the world must be a different place, and it is a chance to reimagine a society in which people with disabilities have better lives; where they do not have to fight to be seen and included, and where they are not merely an afterthought. People with disabilities should participate in our response and recovery from Covid-19 at all stages, and they should hold us accountable to deliver on our promises. On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I hope that we can all begin to envision a society that everyone can participate in, one that changes how we see and interact with disabilities as equal partners, particularly those with invisible disabilities. It is a chance to build back better and challenge inequalities at every step. A big step in the right direction is to break the silence, speak up and wipe away the biases held against people with disabilities, to banish the stereotypes, and slowly dissipate the stigma facing people with disabilities. These changes start with each of us making a commitment. There are myriad ways in which the world can transform to remove obstacles for people with disabilities to access the opportunities the rest have, from access to economic opportunity and healthy workspaces to accessible infrastructure and health services. Richard Howard Howard is the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim in Nepal and is the Director of ILO Nepal

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Story

12 October 2020

Young Girls in rural Nepal are choosing early marriage to escape poverty and discrimination

The zinc sheet roofs, mud huts and wooden pillars of Namuna Basti shows poverty reigns. Namuna Basti is a labyrinth of lanes with 55 closely packed housing units inhabited by impoverished Badi community- the poorest and most marginalized groups (Dalits) in Nepal who are also considered the “untouchables”. It lies just out of eyesight from the nearest bigger town in the Karnali Province. In the community, young women with children are a common sight. About 90 percent of the women from Namuna Basti are married before the age of 20, which speaks to the alarming prevalence of child marriage here. An Arial view of Namuna Basti. Child marriage in Nepal is driven by a complex web of factors., Key among them is caste-based and gender-based discrimination, especially when combined with poverty. In Nepal’s rural communities, parents often choose marriage for girls because, once married, daughters customarily leave their homes to enter into their husbands’ household and cannot financially support their parents like their sons. It leads families to prioritize education and even basic survival needs, such as food, for boys over girls, which is one of the reasons why child brides and their children are more likely to be malnourished. Due to the existence of a deeply embedded patriarchal norms and unequal power relations, Nepal has a high prevalence of deeply-rooted traditional practices such as caste-based discrimination, chhaupadi and menstrual restrictions, child marriage, dowry, and witchcraft accusation and persecution. These practices often create significant barriers to the realization of human rights, particularly for women and persons from excluded groups. Despite significant advances in legislative and policy frameworks made over the past few years, these practices continue to pervade in Nepal. In 2018, in recognition of these practices being barriers to realizing the UN’s commitments to Agenda 2030 and the principle of Leaving No One Behind, the United Nations Country Team in Nepal with the support of DCO innovation funds carried out a Perception Survey on five of the above-mentioned practices. The survey, conducted in 16 districts within Province 2, 6 and 7 covering 4,000 respondents, was led by the United Nations Resident Coordinators Office in Nepal. Rama (name changed), a 22-year-old girl from Namuna Basti was born into a Badi family. Due to poverty her parents could not afford her education. She started working in India as a full-time maid at the age of 13. She had to spend more than 12 hours a day doing household chores, and she was desperately looking for an escape from her everyday hardship. With the hope to live a better life, seven years ago, she married the person she loved at the age of 15, despite the minimum age requirement for marriage being 20 years old under the Nepali Law. Her husband was 25 Rama’s husband belonged to the so called “upper-caste” Kshetriyas (also called Chhetris). In Nepal, the influence of caste — a social order rooted in Hindu scriptures and based on an identity determined at birth — cannot be disregarded. In the perception of caste hierarchy, Brahmins and Chhetris remain at the top and Dalits, who make up almost 13.6 percent of Nepal’s population of more than 27.33 Million, are at the bottom. Due to this perceived hierarchy, discrimination based on caste remains pervasive. From the Perception Survey carried out by the UN, among the 4,000 respondents from 16 districts, 97% indicated that they have accepted the prevalence of caste-based discrimination in their locality. Following their marriage, Rama returned to Nepal with her husband and began living with her in-laws. Being a Dalit woman, Rama was at high risk of experiencing both caste- and gender-based discrimination at her husband’s house. Fortunately, however, Rama’s husband protected her and facilitated her to be accepted as a member of the family. Rama became pregnant almost immediately after her marriage. Knowing that pregnancy could be risky for Rama at her young age, her husband insisted to abort the baby. But she remained adamant and gave birth to their first child when she was just 16. Within just five years of her marriage, her life took an unexpected turn, when a tragic road accident killed her husband. Following the death of her husband, her in-laws began verbally abusing her and forced her to work endlessly. Rama left her husband’s house along with her children and began living with her mother in Namuna Basti. Rama is now a 22-year-old widow and is a sole bread winner for her family. With poverty, lack of education and discrimination based on her caste that she faces every day, giving a decent life to her children is a constant struggle. In the same Basti, Seema Badi (name changed) lives two houses apart from Rama. Seema, just like Rama, is a child bride who chose to get married on her own. She eloped with her boyfriend, who was two-class senior to her in school, when she just became a teenager. Her mother initially brought Seema back from her boyfriend’s house and asked her to focus on her education and wait until she gained some maturity. To her mother’s dismay, Seema left the house for the second time to be with her boyfriend. And what drove her to do that? “To escape from poverty, discriminatory social norms and a desire to avoid a forced marriage to a stranger” was her answer. “My mother was giving birth every other year. I had to support her either by babysitting my siblings or supporting the household chores. At school, I faced discrimination from my peers and my teachers for being a ‘Badi girl’” lamented Seema. Recalling one of the incidents in school she said, “one day a big commotion took place in my class when I accidently touched my classmate’s tiffin box. Since she belonged to the upper-caste, my teacher thrashed me in front of my peers. That very moment, I lost faith in our education system and I tore my books in front of my teacher and left the class. I never returned to the class again.” Seema, who is 21 and a mother of an 8-year-old girl, shares she is content with her present life. Her husband is working in the gulf country to make the ends meet for the family and pay for their daughter’s education. “Together Forever” says Seema with happiness as she shows the initials of her husband and daughter's name inked on her left hand. She however feels she could have achieved more had she listened to her mother and not eloped for the second time. But the societal pressure was one of the factors that constrained her from staying with her mother. “The rumor about me eloping with my boyfriend has already spread in the community. So, the only choice I had was to go back to the person I love because no one would have accepted me as a wife later,” shared Seema. Seema does not want her daughter to repeat her same mistakes. She wants to invest in her daughter’s education so that her daughter can achieve her full potential. But the growing trend of voluntary “love marriages” among teenage children in marginalized communities, often prompted by the desire to escape poverty and discrimination, scares Seema. Seema’s fear is not unfounded. The Perception Survey showed that 90% of the 4,000 respondents acknowledge that voluntary love marriage (Bhagi Bibaha) among minors is prevalent in their locality, while 19% indicated the continued prevalence of an arranged marriage (Magi Bibaha) among minors. According to UNICEF, 15 million girls are married as children globally each year and Nepal has the third highest rate of child marriage in Asia, after Bangladesh and India. The trend of young girls like Seema and Rama choosing early love marriage to cope with poverty and discrimination not only exposes them to a vicious cycle of inequality and insecurity, but also perpetuates the practice of child marriage, creating an obstacle to global development. A 19-year-old girl from Dailekh district with her two children. Child marriage is a core development and human rights issue which is directly linked with eight of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are Goals 1 (poverty), 2 (food security), 3 (health), 4 (education), 5 (gender equality), 8 (economic growth), 10 (inequality), and 16 (peace). Ending child marriage and investing more into the child’s future is therefore an indispensable responsibility of Nepal to ensure that it fully achieves the SDGs.

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06 January 2022

Mass Cholera Vaccination Campaign Launched

In early October 2021, Shivaraj Hospital in Kapilvastu District, Lumbini Province, received over 100 cases of acute diarrhea from nearby Krishnanagar municipality in a single day. By the end of the month, five out of ten municipalities in the district had reported over 1300 acute diarrhea cases including six deaths. Selected samples tested at the National Public Health Laboratory came positive for Vibrio cholera, the causative agent for cholera. The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), with support from WHO, Country Office for Nepal, UNICEF, and other partner agencies then launched a mass cholera vaccination campaign in response to the outbreak. Led by the District Health Office, Kapilvastu, the first phase of the campaign began on 21 November 2021 and was carried out in the five affected municipalities in the district: Yashodhara, Maharajgunj, Shivraj, Bijaynagar, and Krishnanagar. With technical support from WHO, the Department of Health Services, MoHP, had submitted a proposal to *The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Oral Cholera Vaccine Provision for Cholera Control requesting support for Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) from the global stockpile. The proposal which included a request for vaccine support and campaign operations cost support was fully approved, and in November, Nepal received a total of 483,408 doses of OCV. “We were able to receive the vaccines on time, and within a week of its arrival in the country, we started the vaccination campaign. The campaign has been running smoothly and we have been able to contain the spread of the disease. Generous support from agencies including WHO has made this possible” said Dr Bikash Devkota, Secretary, Ministry of Health, Population and Family Welfare, Lumbini Province. The first dose of the vaccine, made possible through the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the ICG, was provided to the target population of over 250,000 people achieving high coverage of more than 90 percent. The second dose vaccination is planned in early January 2022. WHO, Country Office for Nepal, provided technical assistance to the government in planning, preparation, and implementation of the vaccination campaign, including training of over 500 health care workers on vaccine handling and cold chain management. In addition, WHO has been supporting with case investigations, logistics management, sample collection, and shipment in collaboration with the provincial government of Lumbini Province. Following the completion of the vaccination campaign, WHO will support the post-campaign coverage survey as per the requirement of the ICG. WHO along with other partner agencies is continuing to monitor the situation. Cholera is characterized by acute, profuse watery diarrhea usually with vomiting, leading to rapid dehydration, and affects both children and adults. If untreated, it can lead to fatal outcomes within hours. Nepal is endemic for cholera with the potential for outbreaks due to an inadequate supply of safe drinking water and improved sanitation. In recent years, the country has seen diarrheal outbreaks in several districts. Adoption of a long-term approach by prioritizing WASH measures as well as the implementation of a multisectoral cholera prevention and control strategy is crucial to minimizing the risk of future outbreaks. “While vaccination provides life-saving protection against cholera, we must remember that it does not replace other measures such as ensuring access to clean water, sanitation, and good hygiene which are crucial to prevent this dangerous disease. A multisectoral collaboration and coordination among all tiers of the government is key to prevention of occurrence of outbreaks,” said WHO Representative to Nepal, Dr Rajesh Sambhajirao Pandav. As the cholera outbreak has been confirmed in other municipalities of the district, the Department of Health Services further submitted a proposal for oral cholera vaccination in the remaining five municipalities of the district. ICG has approved this proposal including 703,104 doses of OCV, which will be received by the country in early January 2022. The first dose vaccination in these five remaining municipalities is planned to commence in January and the second dose in February 2022. WHO is continuing its technical support for the OCV campaign and outbreak response and is conducting review and coordination meetings with the local government to enhance micro planning to make the campaign a success. *The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Oral Cholera Vaccine Provision for Cholera Control is a partnership between UNICEF, MSF, IFRC, and WHO. The ICG's objective is to ensure rapid and equitable access to vaccines and emergency supplies for outbreak response.

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06 January 2022

Path to full immunization

Parsa, Nepal: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Parminder Sah, chief of health at the Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality in Parsa District in southern Nepal, had been deeply worried about the state of children’s immunization in his community. Although swift efforts were made to restore routine immunization services within a few months of the start of the pandemic, the initial disruption suffered by essential health services and continued restrictions on people’s mobility meant that there was a ‘real risk’ of a knock-on effect on routine immunization, according to Parminder. This was a major concern, the health official says, in a community where there were already pre-existing challenges, such as low awareness about the urgency of full immunization. “Just a few years ago, only around half of the children in Jagarnathpur got vaccinated in their second year of life,” he says. “Health workers had a hard time identifying and bringing in children who had missed their vaccination.” These concerns, however, were not limited to rural communities. Health officials in nearby Birgunj Metropolitan City were also worried about the pandemic’s impact on ongoing efforts to protect children in the area against vaccine-preventable diseases. Ritesh Jaiswal, the immunization focal person at the Metropolitan City Office, says that during the months of April and May 2020, an estimated 2,850 children could not initiate, continue or complete their scheduled vaccinations. “We wanted not only to resume vaccination services but to move to full immunization as soon as possible,” Ritesh says. “We didn’t want any child to be left unvaccinated.” Under Nepal’s National Immunization Programme, children from the ages of 16 to 23 months are mandatorily vaccinated against a range of diseases including measles-rubella, pneumonia, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, rotavirus and Japanese encephalitis. These vaccines are provided free of cost from health facilities around the country. Since the very start of national immunization efforts in the country, UNICEF – together with other health partners such as Gavi – has been advocating with and supporting the Government of Nepal with logistical and technical support to expand vaccination coverage to reach all children across the country. Given the need of the hour, this support was further strengthened in 2020. Elaborating on UNICEF’s support, Beki Prasai, health officer at UNICEF Nepal, describes a range of activities that were designed and implemented. “These activities included denominator surveys, geared at helping to better understand the situation in these communities,” Beki says. “Based on the evidence generated from this, we were able to work with our health counterparts in the local government to expand immunization coverage.” Thanks to this groundwork, then, special immunization sessions could be held for the children who had missed out on getting vaccinated in Jagarnathpur. In addition, workshops were also held to orient healthworkers on their roles and responsibilities in terms of overage vaccine coverage and utilization services, as well as management of the supply chain. In the case of Birgunj, thanks to a bottleneck analysis exercise and microplanning workshop conducted prior to the lockdown with UNICEF support, health officials were able to activate at least one immunization site in each ward – so as to reduce healthworkers’ workload and overcrowding. For those families who were reluctant to come to the sites, healthworkers also made home visits to vaccinate children. Raj Mallik was among the 584 children in Birgunj who were identified and targeted in these vaccination efforts. The child had missed his Japanese encephalitis vaccine, as well as the second dose of measles-rubella. “The lockdown made it difficult for us to move around,” says Raberi Mallik, Raj’s mother. “We were afraid to go out because we didn’t want to catch the virus or get sent to quarantine centers, and we thought the vaccination could wait.” It was only after a visit from the vaccination team, who had checked the child’s immunization card and counselled them on the dangers of delay, that Raberi and husband Kishan had taken the child to the closest health facility. Following such efforts to reach every child, on 15 July and 29 August 2021 respectively, Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality and Birgunj Metropolitan City were officially declared to be fully immunized, where all children under 23 months of age had received all the vaccines under the National Immunization Programme. Parminder and Ritesh are both elated with the achievement. “This was one of our biggest targets, and the fact that we were able to do this during a worldwide pandemic makes the accomplishment even greater,” Ritesh says. “Now, our focus going forward must be on sustaining the fully-immunized status.” Till date, 102 municipalities across four districts in Province 2 have been declared fully-immunized.

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22 December 2021

Breathing easier

Dhanusha, Nepal: Sandhya Das stands amidst a group of her fellow healthworkers, eyes trained on the ventilator placed in front of them. They are all gathered in a corner of the Intensive Care Unit at the Madhesh Institute of Health Sciences in Dhanusha District in southern Nepal, taking part in a practical session on operating and maintaining critical oxygen equipment. Sandhya has long been working at the hospital, and currently serves as the matron here. “You could say I’ve seen it all,” she says. “The good times and the bad.” Earlier this year – when the country was hit by the devastating second wave of COVID-19 – was very possibly the worst of them all, she says. The healthworker talks about how overwhelmed the hospital had become in a short period of time with patient after patient coming in with severe symptoms. “Our wards were packed, our staff were overworked, and it was just a terrible, terrible period.” One of the biggest challenges during this time for most health facilities in Nepal, including this one, was in managing oxygen for critically-ill patients. And the problem was two-fold, according to Sandhya. “On one hand, we were struggling with shortage of oxygen supplies. But even with the equipment that we did have, they would break down because they were so overused and we had to bring in technicians from outside to repair them, which took a lot of time.” It was in recognizing these challenges that UNICEF – with funding support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – had delivered 200 oxygen concentrators to the Government of Nepal to be distributed to health facilities around the country. In addition, it was also thanks to the Gates Foundation funding that UNICEF was able to engage the Biomedical Engineering Foundation of Nepal or BEFON to orient and train healthworkers like Sandhya in the effective use and care of oxygen equipment Since the UNICEF-BEFON partnership began in mid-June 2021, such trainings have been held in 16 key COVID-treatment hospitals around the country, reaching over 120 healthworkers. The trainings cover everything from basic circuit set-up to preventive maintenance, to tips on prolonging the life-span of the machines, as well as avoiding wastage of oxygen. “Machines are all about gaining familiarity through regular use,” says engineer Suraj Sharma, one of the trainers from BEFON. “This is why we have also been doing follow up sessions at all the hospitals, to make sure that the staff keep practicing.” At present, the BEFON team is conducting their third round of follow up sessions at targeted hospitals. Describing how this partnership with BEFON had come about, UNICEF Health Officer Lata Bajracharya explains that during the second wave, healthworkers at the Narayani Hospital in nearby Parsa District had made an urgent request for maintenance support. Several of their concentrators and ventilators, which were crucial in treating COVID-19 patients, needed immediate repairs. In response, UNICEF had connected the health facility to BEFON engineers, who had rushed in and made the fixes. “That incident was what sparked the partnership and the trainings,” Lata says. “It made it clear that it is not enough just to have equipment…. healthworkers also need some basic technical skills on using, maintaining and repairing – developing that capacity in-house can save time and save lives.” For Sandhya, she says she feels more confident in her own and her team’s abilities now. “The trainings have been a great support for us,” she says. “Of course, we are focused on COVID-19 right now, but we feel that we will be able to provide improved critical care to patients well beyond the current crisis.” UNICEF Nepal/2021/MShrestha

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09 December 2021

Invest in a better future at home: Story of Returnee Migrants

Dhurba Pokharel, 31, a returnee migrant in Putalibazar, had already spent 7 years in Saudi Arabia as a supervisor in a gas plant when he was forced to return home due to the global pandemic. He said he had mixed feelings while on his way back home. Happy because he was reuniting with his family, but worried as to how would he be able to support his family without a steady income. Saraswati Marasini, 40, a mother of two, was working in India as receptionist when COVID 19 started ravaging the country. Feeling devastated not knowing what to do next, she came back to her hometown, Putalibazar, in Syangja, Nepal.. Jobless and economically distressed, Sharaswati found herself in urgent need of new income generation opportunities to keep her family afloat during the pandemic. The COVID-19 Crisis Management Center (CCMC) has reported that, as of June 2021, 465,850 Nepali workers from 60 different countries have returned home. Majority of them have lost their livelihood opportunities and are being compelled to remain with no or limited income. A recent study by ILO (2020) suggests that most migrant workers are willing to drop their plans to rebound to foreign countries if they could find an employment opportunity back home. Agriculture and domestic works were noted as main employment options for them. In a bid to help address this issue, UNDP reprogrammed two projects and worked with returnee migrants to pave the way for new opportunities that could help them earn a decent living. With the support of local governments, the Value Chain Development of Fruit and Vegetables Project (VCDP), a joint initiative of Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNDP identified returnee migrants who wished to opt for agri-entrepreneurship as a way of generating income to support themselves and their families. Sharaswati and Dhurba were among them. The project provided future entrepreneurs a comprehensive support package. A business planning training was imparted to help them decide which commodities to sell and make an investment/return plan. It was then followed by technical training on commercial farming and cultivation under polyhouse. VCDP reviewed each business plan and provided needed in-kind resources such as seed, polyhouse, or mini tillers, accordingly. To date, 16 returnee migrants have successfully produced tomatoes and recorded seasonal revenue stream of anywhere between 12,000-100,000 rupees each. “I felt I am not alone and people were there to help me. I received 2 polyhouses, 2 plastic drums with pipers for drip irrigation, plastics for mulching, and 1 mini-tiller. It was such a thrilling experience as I managed to produce 1,545kg of tomatoes,” said Saraswati The difficulties faced by migrant returnees in meeting basic needs is particularly high among those from the impoverished Karnali and Sudurpashcim provinces. Therefore, there was immediate need for job market and skill needs assessment of these provinces. Support to Knowledge and Lifelong Learning Skills Programme (SKILLS), another UNDP project, thus supported the federal Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Social Development of Sudurpaschim province to conduct a first of its kind skill mapping survey. The exercise forecasted that 51,542 skilled human resources will be required in Sudurpaschim Province for the next 3 years: (I) Engineering/construction (15,860), (ii) Agriculture/Forestry/Fisheries (10,306), Tourism and Hospitality (8,218), (iii) Health (5,407), (iv) Secretarial Management (3,962), (v) Handicrafts (2,277), Education/Pedagogy (787), and Others (4,725). To help meet the demand, SKILLS and National Youth Council joined hands in October 2020 to run a program titled, ”Workplace Based Learning and Earning Program.” It supported 87 migrant returnees of two local levels each in Kalilali and Kanchapur districts of Sudurpaschim Province to engage in self employment opportunities in agriculture and livestock related occupations while using skills, knowledge and experiences they gained aboard to the benefit of their and their communities. UNDP’s support is meant to lay the foundation for longer term economic recovery and social cohesion for migrant returnees. “I am now knowledgeable about commercial farming. Now I have a new dream. A dream that I build an agriculture learning centre in my own village. I want to share what I learnt to many others who stand to benefit from the same,” Dhurba added.

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09 December 2021

Boosting children’s immunity: Vitamin A campaign

Morang, Nepal: For over a decade, Rama Basnet and Matrika Acharya have been working as female community health volunteers or FCHVs in Biratnagar Metropolitan City in Morang District in eastern Nepal. Throughout this time, 40-year-old Rama and 45-year-old Matrika have been actively engaged in activities geared at monitoring and strengthening the health and nutrition of children in their community. These activities have included screening for malnutrition using the mid upper-arm circumference tape, and raising awareness among caregivers and educators regarding the Golden 1,000 Days – the critical window between a woman's pregnancy and the child’s second birthday that profoundly impacts their ability to grow, learn, and have a healthier future. As part of these efforts, the two FCHVs have also been participating in the national vitamin A campaign on a regular basis. “We remember going door-to-door to remind mothers about the importance of the vitamin A capsule for children,” Rama says. “Being able to share that knowledge, and protect children from future health complications, makes me very happy.” That enthusiasm was evident during the most recent vitamin A drive held in October 2021 where I was able to meet and shadow Rama and Matrika as they worked, attending to caregivers who had brought their children to the distribution site, as well as informing and inviting other parents who were passing by to do the same. Information about the campaign, which also included other nutrition-related interventions integrated with vitamin A distribution – such as malnutrition screening, provision of Baalvita or micronutrient powder, as well as deworming tablets – had been disseminated to the community via posters, pamphlets, miking, as well as social media and Viber by local government health officials. Teachers, families and local non-governmental organizations were also mobilized to spread the message. And FCHVs like Rama and Matrika were also a crucial part of this outreach, thanks to the ties and trust that they have established with families in the community. “We also orient mothers in villages nearby about how to help prevent malnutrition in children,” Matrika explains. “And when we come across children suffering from severe acute malnutrition during our screening drives, we direct them to the nutritional rehabilitation center in Rani for proper care and treatment.” Vitamin A supplementation helps maintain strong immune systems, as well as reducing the incidences of diarrhoea and measles in children and preventing blindness and hearing loss. The national vitamin A drive is among Nepal’s most successful nutrition programmes and have been reaching children aged 6 to 59 months across the country for many decades. I am grateful to have been able to observe the drive up close in the field, and spend some time learning about the role that FCHVs like Rama and Matrika play in the programme’s success, particularly in influencing people through social mobilization and communication. The experience has inspired me to pen the below poem: वर्षमा दुई पटक, महिनामा दुई दिन, बैशाख र कार्त्तिक महिनामा आउनुहोस् एकछिन आयो भिटामीन ए क्याप्सुल हजुरकै वडामा जानुहोस्-जानुहोस् छिट्टै समयमा ५ वर्षमुनिका बालबालिकाका लागि ख्वाउनुहोस् भिटामीन ए आँखाका लागि मात्र होइन रोगहरूबाट बच्नका लागि। Pallavi is UNICEF Nepal’s Youth Advocate for Nutrition.

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Press Release

29 December 2021

Government of Nepal Launched SDGs in Mithila Postal Stamp

Hon’ble Minister of Information and Communications Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Dr Baikuntha Aryal Secretary of Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Indu Ghimire, Director General of Department of Postal Service jointly marked the first day of the issuance of the postal stamps by launching the “SGDs in Mithila” along with 14 other stamps highlighting Nepal’s natural and cultural diversity. Robert Kasca, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. participated in the event. “The SDG Postal Stamps reinforce Nepal’s commitment towards achieving SDGs and enhances the awareness of Nepal's art sector,” said Hon’ble Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Minister of Information and Communications Technology. The SDGs in Mithila original paintings, which are now issued as stamps, were created by local renowned women artists of Janakpur in 2018 as a collaborative effort between the UN in Nepal and the Janakpur Women’s Development Center. “The issuance of the SDGs postal stamps not only highlights the UN’s effort to localize the SDGs in Nepal but symbolizes Nepal’s commitment and readiness to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The UN in Nepal lauds the efforts of the Government of Nepal to accelerate progress,” said Robert Kasca, UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Nepal. With the intent of using indigenous art practices to make the SDGs accessible and understandable to all people, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office began localizing the 17 SDGs icons into local art forms. After the creation of the 17 SDGs icons as Mithila art, the paintings also travelled to ‘Art for SDGs: the Mithila Heritage’ exhibition organized by the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations in New York and the Mithila Festival at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2019. For More Information, please contact: Simrika Sharma Tel: 9841592692 Email: Simrika.sharma@one.un.org Notes to the Editor: UN Resident Coordinator Office: The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UN RCO) in Nepal works under the strategic guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) and supports the UN Country Team (UNCT) in the advancement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The UN RCO team supports the RC and UNCT in ensuring a more coordinated and coherent approach across the work of the UN and is composed of experts in development and humanitarian coordination, information management, human rights, gender equality, and communications. SDGs: In 2015 the member states of the United Nations, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, collectively committing to a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and planet leaving no one behind. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls.

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Press Release

09 December 2021

Nepal must now deliver on promise of social justice - UN human rights expert

Nepal has succeeded in reducing multidimensional poverty by 12.7 percent between 2014 and 2019, and its Human Development Index has improved, as have indicators related to health and education. But significant gaps remain,” the UN expert said. “Women are still lagging on a number of indicators. Though banned, caste-based and ethnicity-based discrimination remain a reality in social life, and it is a major factor explaining the perpetuation of poverty. Land issues remain unresolved, despite the efforts to accelerate the rehabilitation of former bonded laborers and to ensure landless Dalit benefit from land redistribution.” Poverty reduction owes more to remittances than to proactive Government anti-poverty policies, De Schutter said. "A quarter of the decline in poverty can be attributed to outmigration only, with estimates showing that, without remittances, poverty would have increased in Nepal,” he said. Remittances in Nepal were 10 times larger than foreign aid and 2.5 larger than total exports only in 2017. “It is clear that much more needs to be done by the Government to meet its own target of reducing multidimensional poverty to 11.5 percent by 2023-2024,” the expert said. “The Government should ensure its skills and training programs reach the poorest families. While public works programs such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Program have considerable potential, in practice the program has yet to deliver on its promise of providing 100 days of work per person per year. “In the country, 80 percent of workers are informal, which exposes them to higher rates of abuse, largely because the Government lacks the ability to enforce minimum wage legislation in the informal sector. Although informal workers should also contribute to and benefit from the Social Security Fund, there is currently no plan to include them in the program.” De Schutter’s fact-finding mission began on 29 November, just weeks after the UN General Assembly voted a resolution inviting Nepal, along with Bangladesh and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, to prepare for graduation from the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to that of an emerging economy. The country will benefit from a five-year transition period. “Graduation from LDC status is a major milestone for Nepal,” said De Schutter. “Poverty reduction must be at the heart of the country’s transition strategy to ensure that no groups are left behind.” The UN expert met with communities who suffer from intersecting forms of deprivation. Most were landless daily wage laborers working in agricultural or informal jobs and struggling to send their children to school. Many were from historically disadvantaged and discriminated groups including Dalit, Madhesi, and Indigenous people, as well as women. “The stark inequalities resulting from the deeply entrenched norms and values of the Nepali caste system continue to perpetuate disadvantage today,” De Schutter said. Women suffer the brunt of a historically patriarchal society, earning almost 30 percent less than men, suffering from higher rates of informality, owning only 19.7 percent of homes and land, and enduring a 17.5 percent literacy gap compared to men, the UN poverty expert noted. "Nepal can and must do better,” he said. Children experience the worst forms of deprivation because of the poverty their families face, he added. Over one million children work in Nepal, and in rural areas over a fifth of children do. “During my mission, I met with countless families whose children, especially girls, engaged in agricultural or domestic work,” De Schutter said. “Wealth inequality is a major factor: over 20 percent of children in poverty work, compared to only five percent of children from rich families. “The Government must take child poverty seriously and take the necessary steps to end child marriage and labor and improve quality of and access to education,” he added. During his mission, the Special Rapporteur visited Bagmati, Karnali, Lumbini provinces, as well as Province 2. He met with nine ministries, including six ministers, as well as local and provincial authorities, people affected by poverty, civil society organizations, and development cooperation and UN agencies. ENDS Photos from the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Nepal are available for journalists’ use at https://bit.ly/3dumvJJ Mr. Olivier De Schutter was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights by the UN Human Rights Council on 1st May 2020. The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council's independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity. For more information and media requests, please contact Simrika Sharma (+977 9841592692 simrika.sharma@one.un.org and Isabelle Delforge (+32498522163 isabelle.delforge@srpoverty.org or media@srpoverty.org) For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts, please contact Renato Rosario De Souza (renato.rosariodesouza@un.org) or Jeremy Laurence (+ 41 79 444 7578 / jeremy.laurence@un.org). Follow news related to the UN’s independent human rights experts on Twitter @UN_SPExperts. Follow the Special Rapporteur on social media at @DeSchutterO and @srpoverty Concerned about the world we live in?
Then STAND UP for someone’s rights today.
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Press Release

30 November 2021

Commemoration of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and start of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence, survivors, gender equality activists and representatives from the UN, development partners, and the government came together to commit to take action to end gender-based violence now! The event, streamed live from Patan Museum Courtyard, gave center stage to the stories of GBV survivors as well as to gender equality activists to present a joint statement calling for inclusive and comprehensive reforms to eliminate gender-based violence. Jenny Khadka, an acid-attack survivor, emphasized everyone’s role in preventing gender-based violence. Ashmita Badi, a poet from Surkhet reiterated how patriarchy stands in the way of a world free of violence. Sharmila Thapa, Nurse and a Member of the Trade Union questioned normalization of GBV at the workplace. Similarly, Babita Rai, Feminist Writer shared about sexual harassment and urged for a world free of violence. Lastly, Kathak dancer Subima Shrestha portrayed the grief and perseverance of Gauri Bista, a survivor of domestic violence and women’s rights activist from Doti, through her dance in the song written by Bista herself. Through their stories, the advocates called for urgent action to change discriminatory social norms, policies and laws to prevent gender-based violence. In the joint statement, Shova Maya BK, Disabled Women’s Rights Activist, Kala Swarnakar, General Secretary, Feminist Dalit Organization, Nagma Khan, Queer Rights Activist, Prakriti Bhattarai, Chairperson, Political Literacy for Women, and Dorje Gurung, Educator and Activist, called for action from the government, multilateral and bilateral organizations to: - Repeal constitutional and legal provisions on legal identity and citizenship to address existing gender discriminatory provisions. - Amplify efforts to end violence against women and girls with intersectional identities (such as caste/ethnicity, religion, geography, disability, gender and sexual minority) through interventions and policy reform tailored to their specific needs. - Strengthen and intensify response services to GBV through establishment of fast track courts, well-functioning multi-sectoral support system (e.g., health, legal aid, shelter homes, psychosocial support, interpretation services) and increase access to these services for service-seekers focusing on needs of women and girls from marginalized communities. “Across the globe gender-based violence continues with impunity, survivors’ stories silenced while perpetrators evade justice. Today we say, enough with the silence. Stop the Violence Now.” said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, UN Resident Coordinator, International Development Partner’s Group Co-chair and representing multilateral development partners. Speaking at the event, Excellency Nona Deprez, European Union Ambassador, Development Partner’s Group Co-chair and representing bilateral development partners expressed, “Ending gender-based violence is non-negotiable. Nepal has worked really hard to have a strong legal framework to combat GBV, which is a real achievement but there is still so much work to be done. It is important to break the cycle of violence”. During the programme, Under-Secretary Ram Hari Sharma from Ministry of Home Affairs shared that the Ministry has initiated discussions to formulate law related to acid attack as the previous ordinances related to acid attack issued has become ineffective. Dipti Karki, Deputy Superintendent of Police also shared her commitments to end violence against women and girls. Wrapping up the commemoration event, the UN Country Team lit up Patan Durbar Square Museum and Dharahara in orange, the official colour of the UNITE campaign, that symbolizes hope and a country free of violence. For queries, please contact; Simrika Sharma; Tel: 9841592692 Email: Simrika.sharma@one.un.org Subeksha Poudel; Tel: 9851109136 Email: Subeksha.poudel@unwomen.org Editor’s Note The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign which takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was originated by activists at the first Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and is coordinated each year by the Centre for Women's Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. As a unifying theme running global activities, the UNiTE campaign has utilized the colour orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls. The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Nepal has marked 16 days campaign with awareness building and advocacy campaigns across Nepal. Some of the key activities undertaken were ‘oranging’ monuments and provincial buildings, engaging audience across Nepal through films, social media, and radio campaigns. In Nepal, the UN Country Team (UNCT) has marked the campaign during the past years, including ‘oranging’ of Patan Darbar Square (2016), Lumbini (2017), Provincial Parliament Buildings (2018), Women’s March in Janakpur (2019), and an online dialogue on ‘The Role of Media in Changing Mindsets: One story of gender-based violence is one story too many’ (2020). The cases of gender-based violence’s have been increasing annually as per the reports from Nepal Police.[1]According to the three years study done by Nepal Police from 2018- 2021 total 8571 cases of sexual violence (mainly rape, attempt to rape, child sexual abuse), 209 cases of child marriage, 38737 cases of domestic violence have been registered across Nepal. Review the status of limitations of sexual abuse of children to ensure cases can be brought against offenders. A study[2] highlighted that gender-based violence and gender equality funds are not currently operational. Those that are functioning to a degree – such as the GBV Elimination Fund and the Rehabilitation Fund – exist at the federal level and not at the provincial or local level, which restricts women’s access to these funds. In this context, there is an urgent need to make funds available and ensure that women have access to essential services, including gender-based violence services.[3] There is an urgent need for gender responsive budgeting and tracking allocations for gender equality and for achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality. A coordinated, multi-level and multi-sectoral approach is recommended to prevent and respond to the potential increase in gender-based violence in Nepal[4]. [1] Reported incidents of child marriage, witchcraft allegations and untouchability have increased annually, according to Nepal Police data on FIRs registered between FY 2016/2017 and September 2020. National Women Commission (NWC): A Study on the Implementation Status of Concluding Observations of United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) on the Sixth Periodic Report of Nepal, June 2021. [2] Forum For Women Legal Development (FWLD) and Himal Innovative Development Research Pvt Ltd (HIDR), Policy Brief: Nepal’s Gender-Based Violence and Gender Equality Funds: The Path to Effective Implementation, 2021, available at https://nepal.un.org/sites/default/files/2021-06/np-the-path-to-effective-implementation-english.pdf [3]Ibid. [4] National Women Commission (NWC), A Study on the Implementation Status of Concluding Observations of United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) on the Sixth Periodic Report of Nepal June 2021.

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Press Release

08 November 2021

Nepalese peacekeeper serving in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) receives United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year Award

Superintendent Malla currently serves as the Chief of the MONUSCO Police Health and Environment Unit, which she helped establish in the country’s capital, Kinshasa. The unit is responsible for implementing policies and procedures concerning the health and well-being of personnel as well as United Nations Police environmental initiatives. Her contributions have added direct significance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and past outbreaks of Ebola virus disease, as well as natural and humanitarian crises such as the volcanic eruption in Goma last May, during which her unit alerted the local population and UN staff of precautionary measures. “She helped establish and now leads MONUSCO’s Health and Environment Unit, enhancing the safety and welfare of our peacekeepers by mitigating the risks from COVID-19 and other threats,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. “And she represents something far larger — the many contributions of women police officers in advancing peace and security around the world. Through her work, Superintendent Malla embodies the best of the United Nations.” A medical professional by training, Superintendent Malla helped develop guidance for preventing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. She has organized over 300 awareness sessions this year on COVID-19 prevention as well as environmental protection for the local population, Congolese authorities and UN staff. As the MONUSCO Police’s focal point on COVID-19, she also been disseminating information about the vaccines and promoting vaccination efforts. “I am honored to receive this award, and I hope it will encourage more young women in my country and around the world to pursue careers in policing, which is still too often viewed as “man’s work’,” said Superintendent Malla. The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was established in 2011 to recognize the exceptional contributions of women police officers to UN peace operations and to promote the empowerment of women. “Like many peacekeepers during this challenging time amid the pandemic, Superintendent Malla has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve local communities,” said United Nations Police Adviser Luis Carrilho. “Together with her team, her efforts to raise awareness about public health and natural risks have ultimately made her colleagues and the Congolese people safer—a core function of policing.” Superintendent Malla’s previously served with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) from 2016 to 2017, where she was a member of the Formed Police Unit’s medical team. She joined the Nepal Police in 2008 as an inspector. The award will be presented during the 16th United Nations Police Week from 8 to 12 November. At this annual event, heads of UN Police components and police experts from peacekeeping operations, special political missions and regional offices and United Nations senior leadership discuss performance, conduct and discipline, protection of civilians, conflict prevention, sustaining peace and other topics and priorities affecting United Nations policing. About 7,300 UN police, almost 27% of whom are women, are currently deployed in 14 United Nations peace operations around the world where they work to enhance international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict and other crisis situations. As of today, UNPOL has already achieved the 2025 targets set out in the Department’s Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy for all categories of personnel. Women police officers comprise 30% of individual police officers and 15% of members of Formed Police Units. Women police hold 40% of professional posts at UN Headquarters and 33% in the field. Women also lead half of UN Police components in UN peace operations.
* * * * * The award ceremony will be held virtually on 9 November at 12:30 EST and broadcast live on UN webcast: http://webtv.un.org/

Media contacts: Douglas Coffman
Peace & Security Section
UN Department of Global Communications
Email: coffmand@un.org
Cell: +1 917 361-9923
Simrika Sharma
Public Information Manager
UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Nepal
Email: Simrika.sharma@one.un.org
Cell: +977 9841592692

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