Jajarkot quake victims crying for relief materials

Despite the district disaster management committee claiming that relief materials have reached the genuine earthquake victims in Jajarkot, the victims have complained of being deprived of the materials. Their situation is worst that they are living under the open sky in winter, and the problem has doubled with rainfall since today morning. Rain has posed a risk of the already cracked houses due to the quake being swept away. They are suffering from cold-related diseases like fever and typhoid, said Ram Prasad Khatri of Nalgad Municipality-8.

Relief materials have not reached the quake-hit Dhaulakot of Barekot Rural Municipality-1, said a local Hari Bahadur Thapa. "We have not received relief materials yet despite repeated calls to the rural municipality. Dhaulakot is the nearby village from Ramidanda, the epicenter of the 6.4 magnitude earthquake," he said.

Not all victims have received the relief materials as there were not enough, defended Bir Bahadur Giri, chairperson of Barekot Rural Municipality. Barekot still needs 1,700 tarpaulins, he said.

Quake-hit Nalgad Municipality is waiting for relief materials. The victims of the municipality-8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 have yet to receive them.

Nalgad-8 is the most populated area. Some organisations voluntarily distributed relief materials in the area, said a local Bhim Bahadur Khatri. They suffered as decisions were made without effective monitoring and inspection, he accused.

Almost all houses in Nalgad-8 have been damaged by the quake, said Jaya Bahadur Khatri, secretary of the Batase Cheuri Barma Forest Community Institution, adding that most of them are not fit for living. Rainfall from today has caused more pain to the victims, he said. As a result of rain, stones have started falling from the damaged houses.

Relief materials were distributed unequally, said Ramkali Thapa of Bheri Municipality-3, adding that some have received them twice while others have not received yet. Those victims who have rented rooms in Khalanga have yet to receive relief materials. Only landlords were registered as quake victims for receiving relief materials but not tenants, complained Mal Bahadur Singh of Barekot Rural Municipality-4, currently living in Khalanga.

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