Nepal, poverty and unemployment push thousands of people to suicide
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Cases of suicides
and homicides associated with poverty have increased by 31% in Nepal according
to a police report linked to the dramatic political and economic crisis
experienced by the country last year. With
an unemployment rate of 46% and an average income per capita of 1,300 U.S.
dollars per year, Nepal
is one of the poorest states in the world. According
to World Bank data, about 55% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Due
to political instability and high rates of corruption, the situation gets worse
from year to year. For
many people the only choice is that of migration and to date there are over 7
million Nepalese working abroad. The
state budget depends for about 40% on remittances from migrants. However,
those who can not find work at home or abroad, are increasingly choosing the
dramatic path of suicide. The
cases registered by the authorities are about 4 thousand a year, with an
average of 11 deaths per day. The
phenomenon is growing and affects young people between 14 and 30 years,
especially single mothers.
These
days, people were shocked by the case of Ramia Chaudhari, a young woman of 25
who could not pay school fees for her two children and so chose to kill herself
and her children. The
family lived in Amab (Bara district), a village that is run by development
committees. Police
said her husband's salary was not enough and she was looking for work for several
months, but without success. Rita
Chaudhary, Ramia's neighbor, said that she was afraid that her children remain
without food, so she decided not to enroll her eldest son in school, to save
the 1.3 dollars per month in fees. Her
despair increased when the women of the village council has asked all families
to ensure the education of school children. Not being
able to pay, the woman committed suicide.
Similar cases have
occurred in past years. In
February 2010 an entire family in Rukum committed suicide because the parents
could not pay for the medical care of their 27 year old daughter suffering from
epilepsy. In
July, a mother in Rautahat burdened with debts convinced his three children of
5, 9 and 11 years to jump from a bridge with her.
The
purpose of the committees for the development of the village is to organize the
population, under a partnership between the community and the public sector, to
improve services and avoid corruption. Each
village is divided into various local councils and is led by a village chief elected
with at least 80% of the votes. In
smaller villages the whole population participates in the management of
services particularly those of water supply, basic health, sanitation. Local
councils are also responsible for monitoring and record the economic progress
of the village.
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16/05/2023 17:45
