Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – Whilst the capital on Sunday celebrated the Hindu feast of Dashain (dedicated to the goddess Durga), some 30 districts across the country have been suffering from drought, and this for several months. In western districts like Jajarkot, Humla, Rukum, Bajura, Gorkha, Mugu and Darchula, drought has been accompanied by hunger and, on 28 August, by an outbreak of dysentery that has already killed 321 people. The lack of food has forced thousands of people to take to the road, walking long distances in search of a few kilos of rice that will last at best a day.

“Children are crying of hunger. We have been eating once a day for a week,” said Hemraj Sarki, from Jajarkot. “How can we celebrate Dashain in this situation?” In his district alone, 154 people have died so far.

The lack of roads and health facilities as well as inadequate supplies from the United Nations’ World Food Program have made a bad situation even more difficult, and prevented the government from quickly finding a solution. And moving food by air has been made difficult by the insufficient number of choppers and the high cost of fuel.

Hari Narayan Shah, general manager of the Nepal Food Corporation, said that the government was trying its best to supply food during the festival but that it was hampered by limited means of transportation. Still “we will not let people die because of hunger during the festival.”

In Nepal Dashain is an important Hindu celebration. For 15 days, sacrifices and food offerings are made in honour of Durqa.  

It is also a time for politicians to cultivate support among the population.

But his time many ordinary Nepalis blame the government for not monitoring the hunger situation of the last few months, showing an interest in Dashain only because they could fly by helicopter into areas where large numbers of voters come together.